Hospital confirms Jobs liver transplant

A US clinic confirmed that Steve Jobs, the head of Apple Inc, has undergone a liver transplant.

The Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee said in a statement released Tuesday with the patient's approval that Jobs was "now recovering well and has an excellent prognosis".

The statement did not give the date of the transplant, however, the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the procedure took place about two months ago.

While no details were given on the reasons for the transplant, the hospital stressed that Jobs did not receive any preferential treatment, and had been the sickest patient on the waiting list.

The Apple chief executive had taken a six-month leave of absence in January for treatment of an undisclosed medical condition. He is expected to return to work at the helm of the Mac and iPhone maker by the end of the month.

According to news reports, Jobs, 54, was sighted at Apple headquarters and commented on the sales figures of the company's newest iPhone 3GS version.

Jobs, who previously suffered from pancreatic cancer, said earlier he had a hormone imbalance. Apple had previously come under fire from shareholders for its secrecy regarding Jobs' health.

The charismatic Apple founder's health is watched cautiously by shareholders, as Jobs is regarded as key to the successes of the company.

Last updated on Jun 24^th, 2009 at 12:22 pm IST--DPA