The medical team involved in United Airlines chief executive Oscar Munoz's heart transplant operation is optimistic that he will make a “quick recovery” and return to the helm of one of the world’s largest carriers soon.
“Given Mr Munoz's excellent physical condition and the rapid pace of his recovery prior to the transplant, we expect a quick recovery and a return to his duties as CEO," says Patrick McCarthy, MD and chief of cardiac surgery at Chicago’s Northwestern Medicine, in a statement.
The transplant took place on 6 January, less than three months after Munoz took medical leave from his duties at United following a heart attack on 15 October 2015.
The Chicago-based carrier says the transplant was “preferable to long-term reliance on the implanted device and was not the result of a setback in his recovery”.
“The surgical team was quite pleased with how the procedure went,” says Duc Pham, MD and director of the Northwestern Medicine Heart Transplant Program. “The patient's early course has been excellent, and the transplanted heart is functioning very well.”
The US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says recovery from a heart transplant requires up to two weeks of hospitalisation after the procedure and another three months of close monitoring under the best case scenario.
With such a timeline in mind, United’s target of a late first quarter or early second quarter return to work for Munoz is feasible.
Munoz also faces a contractual obligation to return to work by April. According to his contract with United, his employment can be terminated if he is "incapacitated" for at least 180 days - or by 12 April.
United says he was cleared to return to work before the transplant and had increased his airline-related activities in December.
“We’re grateful that Oscar is receiving excellent treatment and our well wishes are with him and his family as he continues his recovery,” says Brett Hart, United’s general counsel and acting chief executive, in a letter to employees today. “Until Oscar returns, I, along with the executive team, remain focused on implementing his vision of consistently earning the trust of customers and employees at the centre of all we do.”
Since Munoz took medical leave, the carrier has announced an end to its divisive practice of outsourcing certain ground staff positions until 2019, debuted new inflight coffee for passengers and announced the return of free inflight snacks from the first quarter.
United’s stock closed down 4.7% at $52.63 per share in New York today following the announcement of Munoz’s transplant operation after markets closed on 6 January.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
