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Hospital confirms Steve Jobs' liver transplant
by Neka Sehgal - June 24, 2009 - comments
A hospital in Tennessee has confirmed it gave Apple CEO Steve Jobs a new liver, stating his prognosis is good
Memphis, TN, June 23: Putting to rest the speculation surrounding Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) Chief Executive Officer Steve Paul Jobs' health, Dr. James D. Eason, chief of transplantation at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute Memphis, confirmed yesterday that the CEO had received a liver transplant there and that he was "recovering well and has an excellent prognosis".
The disclosure was apparently made with the permission of Steve Jobs. Eason refrained from giving details as to when the operation was performed, citing patient privacy. However, according to other reports, he had the transplant two months ago.
Jobs’ illness and rumors
There had been a lot of conjectures regarding the executive’s health, when he appeared gaunt and thin at the Worldwide Developers Conference last June.
Apple insisted that Jobs' health was a private matter, but in early January, Jobs announced that he was taking medical leave to deal with health issues.
In August 2004, Jobs underwent successful surgery to treat a rare form of pancreatic cancer, which laid him up until September of that year. The rumors doing the rounds over the past year had been over whether that cancer had returned.
Speculation on special treatment
Dispelling the notion that Jobs received preferential treatment when he underwent the operation, the hospital clarified that Jobs went through the proper channels and was assessed in accordance with national policies.
The hospital statement declared, "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”.
Eason stated Jobs received the transplant because he had the highest model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score among patients waiting for a liver. Scores measuring MELD range from 6 to 40, where the higher the number, the graver the patient’s illness.
He added that Jobs, "received a liver transplant because he was the patient with the highest MELD score of his blood type and, therefore, the sickest patient on the waiting list at the time a donor organ became available".
"We provide transplants to patients regardless of race, sex, age, financial status, or place of residence," the hospital said.
Steve Jobs is scheduled to return to work at Apple later this month. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said, "Steve continues to look forward to returning to Apple at the end of June.”