Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek will take a brief hiatus from the long-running game show after undergoing brain surgery.
Some of you may have heard by now that during the holiday break I had a slight medical problem, subdural hematoma, blood clots on the brain caused by a fall I endured about two months ago, Trebek said in a video posted on the Jeopardy!website.
The surgery was successful. After two days in the hospital, I came home to start recovery. The prognosis is excellent, and I expect to be back in the studio taping more Jeopardy! programs very, very soon.
The shows website added, Alex spent Christmas at home with his family, and he will return to the Jeopardy! studio for taping in mid-January. Because Jeopardy! tapes months in advance, the only change made to the shows schedule concerns the upcoming College Championship, which will now air in April. Otherwise, Jeopardy!s broadcast schedule is unaffected.
Trebek underwent surgery December 16th at Los Angeles Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, two months after Trebeks October fall. The host was released from the hospital two days later.
Signs of a subdural hematoma include slurred speech, balance problems, headaches and nausea. According to CNN, the effects from the blood clots like in the casr of Trebek sometimes dont appear for weeks or months following the head injury.
The 77-year-old Trebek has been at the helm of Jeopardy! since the show relaunched in 1984. Although Trebek has faced some health issues in the past decade, including a pair of heart attacks, the host hasnt had any prolonged absences from the syndicated game show.