Jobs transplant confirmed

Confirming earlier reports that Steve Jobs traveled to Tennessee for transplant surgery, the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute on Tuesday acknowledged the Apple executive did, in fact, receive a liver transplant. The operation was announced by James D. Eason, M.D., the Program Director, with consent from Jobs to release the information.

Although specific details were not disclosed, Eason claims Jobs is "recovering well and has an excellent prognosis." The transplant was approved after the executive became the patient with the highest MELD score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease). The ranking effectively qualified him as the sickest patient on the waiting list for his blood type.

Although surgery centers are plentiful in California, the early leaks suggest Jobs traveled to Tennessee due to shorter waiting lists. The Transplant Institute policies allegedly do not consider residency a requirement. While national waiting times average 306 days, patients in Tennessee average just 48 days before receiving a transplant.

Following the leak, Methodist University claimed Steve Jobs was not listed as a patient there. The wording did not explicitly deny his presence prior to the statement, however.

A rumor claims the executive may have purchased a mansion in Memphis, which was used as a recovery location in close proximity to Methodist University in case of a complication. The 7,500 square-foot building is owned by an LLC associated with a law firm, although the attorney involved with the purchase has declined to comment.

While the Memphis mansion rumor remains unconfirmed, Jobs was recently spotted back on the Apple campus. The company has not yet disclosed further details of the CEO's health status, although he is expected to return on time from his six-month leave of absence.

by MacNN Staff