Hospital Confirms Jobs' Liver Transplant

(CBS)  Over the weekend, speculation on the health of Apple Computer co-founder and CEO escalated as a Wall Street Journal report surfaced of a liver transplant in Tennessee two months ago.

Apple continued its normal terse response on his health, telling the Journal that Jobs "continues to look forward to returning at the end of June, and there's nothing further to say."

Tuesday Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute confirmed that Jobs has a liver transplant, reports WREG in Memphis, Tenn. Jobs was the "sickest patient on the waiting list at the time a donor organ became available," according to a press release from the hospital. The waiting list for liver transplants was smaller than in other states, such as California.

Jobs is expected to return to work this month.
The following statement was sent by the hospital:

I am pleased to confirm today, with the patient's permission, that Steve Jobs received a liver transplant at Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in partnership with the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Mr. Jobs underwent a complete transplant evaluation and was listed for transplantation for an approved indication in accordance with the Transplant Institute policies and United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policies. He received a liver transplant because he was the patient with the highest MELD score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) of his blood type and, therefore, the sickest patient on the waiting list at the time a donor organ became available. Mr. Jobs is now recovering well and has an excellent prognosis.

The Methodist University Hospital/University of Tennessee Transplant Institute performed 120 liver transplants in 2008 making it one of the ten largest liver transplant centers in the United States. We provide transplants to patients regardless of race, sex, age, financial status, or place of residence. Our one-year patient and graft survival rates are among the best in the nation and were a dominant reason in Mr. Jobs's choice of transplant centers. We respect and protect every patient's private health information and cannot reveal any further information on the specifics of Mr. Jobs's case.

James D. Eason, M.D.

Program Director, Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute

Professor of Surgery, Chief of Transplantation, University of Tennessee Health Science Center

[credibility2]

The transplant lists are based individually on each state, which is why he went to TN to get his, since it had the least amount of names on the list. The lists then look at the level of need and severity of condition and then base the transplantation on that information. Sounds like a bunch of sour grapes because he was able to travel to TN and get a transplant. I'm sure if there were in fact any suspicion of irregularities that the TN authorities would investigate those accusations.

[whatsup49]

he probably was the richest, sickest patient on any waiting list. windstorm5, jobs' profession, and his money, should not and do not make him entitled to preferential treatment. he is no more valuable than you or i. i hope that he truly was the first in line for this transplant and that some other less fortunate person was not passed over simply because of status. and i hope that jobs does something really magnanimous with his 2nd chance at life, rather than figuring out more ways to get people to spend money and make him richer.

[watkinsjr2000]

There's an old saying in the legal profession that you can get as much justice as you can afford to pay for.It seems Mr. Jobs story confirms the same is true of the medical profession!

[rhs648]

"Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute is a business. Any other questions?"

For that matter, our government can be considered a business, too. Look at the revenues it raises each year and the many salaries it pays to people. Every institution needs money to function. Does that make the institution and everyone who works for it evil? Presumably you work for yourself or someone else. What happens when the money runs out? Are you unhappy that whoever you work for needs to raise money to pay your salary? So what if a hospital has to operate as a business as long as it is producing products or providing services. Any other questions.

[riob678]

Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute is a business. Any other questions?

[rennin1]

Are we supposed to believe that in the entire US Steve Jobs was the sickest patient in need of that particular donor liver when it became available? Considering the fact that Jobs is one of the richest men in America perhaps he can use some of that money to arrange a full disclosure of the decision-making process that led to him getting this particular donor liver. Otherwise, people might get the idea that he was given preferential treatment and that the organ donor program in this country is simply another special interest that caters to the rich and powerful.