Hospital Confirms Jobs' Liver Transplant

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