Methodist University Hospital in Memphis confirmed late Tuesday that Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently underwent a liver transplant.
News of the transplant was first reported on Saturday by The Wall Street Journal but the hospital’s statement is the first confirmation of the operation.
“Mr. Jobs is now recovering well and has an excellent prognosis,” said Dr. James Eason, chief of the hospital’s transplantation committee, in a statement on its Web site. The news was released with the permission of Jobs, the hospital said.
Jobs received the liver because he was judged top of the waiting list at the time, Eason said.
“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.”
Jobs took a six-month leave of absence from Apple in January amid intense speculation regarding his health.
He returned to work this week, according to various reports from employees at Apple’s Cupertino, California, campus.