The presenter of the program The Tonight Show72, remains in a hospital in Los Angeles after suffering second-degree and possibly third-degree burns in an accident while working on a vehicle in his garage on Sunday.
“I anticipate that he will make a full recovery,” said Dr. Peter Grossman, who described Leno’s condition as good. “But burn injuries are progressive and dynamic, and it’s hard to ultimately predict what the end result will be at this stage,” he said.
Leno, a motorsports fanatic with a large collection of rare and expensive cars and motorcycles, was under a vehicle when the accident occurred. A fuel leak covered Leno in gasoline that ignited with a spark.
Grossman told reporters it is not yet known if Leno will need additional surgery beyond the second procedure scheduled for this week.
Leno has also undergone hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which stimulates the circulation of oxygen in the bloodstream to speed up the healing process.
Regardless, Grossman said the comedian was in good spirits. “He’s Jay Leno. He’s walking around and telling jokes,” the doctor said. “He is incredibly kind to our nursing staff…he is an ideal patient, understanding the severity of his injuries.”
Leno took the reins of The Tonight Show after Johnny Carson retired in 1992, continuing a television tradition that has defined American late nights for decades. After retiring in 2009 for a brief period at the helm of The Jay Leno Show, reintroduced The Tonight Show until 2014, when Jimmy Fallon took over. Leno has also starred in seven seasons of Jay Leno’s Garage.
In a statement released Monday, Leno said he would need “a week or two to recover.” But Grossman warned Wednesday that his recovery would likely be slower.