O.J. Simpson was hospitalized briefly Thursday for minor surgery, then returned to the Men's Central Jail, his doctor said.
"The procedure was performed without any complications. The patient fared very well," said Dr. Robert Huizenga, Simpson's personal physician.Simpson left the downtown jail at 4:05 a.m. and arrived at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center 18 minutes later in an unmarked, blue sedan.
Huizenga, who said the procedure had been planned, wouldn't confirm an earlier report that Simpson was suffering from gastrointestinal distress. Citing doctor-patient confidentiality, he refused to discuss any aspect of the surgery or Simpson's health.
"He was brought to the recovery room where he recovered uneventfully," the doctor said, adding that Simpson was taken back to the jail where he will be in the hospital ward for several more days.
Hospital spokesman Ron Wise said he couldn't discuss Simpson's treatment.
The Sheriff's Department referred calls to Simpson's lawyer, Robert Shapiro, who didn't return repeated telephone calls.
Sheriff's Deputy Bill Martin said earlier that Simpson left the jail "pursuant to a court order" and was in the constant company of deputies.
Simpson returned to the jail at 7 a.m., Deputy Gabe Ramirez said.
Typically, inmates are treated at nearby Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center's jail ward, Martin said. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, about 10 miles from the jail, is known as the "hospital to the stars" because of its reputation for being the celebrity medical center of choice.
Meantime, a jury consultant to Simpson's defense team says her job will be to weed out the potential jurors who appear to be most favorable to prosecutors.
"People say we select jurors, but what we really do is assist in de-selection," said the consultant, Jo-Ellan Dimitrius. "You de-select the other side's best jurors, and they do the same, and you wind up with a middle-of-the-road jury."
Dimitrius - who has worked on the Rodney King trials and the McMartin Pre-School child molestation case among other high-profile cases - said in a telephone interview Wednesday that she and her staff were already at work drafting questions to ask prospective jurors in the Simpson case.
Simpson is charged with the June 12 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. The case is scheduled for trial Sept. 19.