Singer Receives New Liver

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SINGER RECEIVES NEW LIVER

- Omaha World Herald (10/10/00)

Country music star LeDoux received a liver transplant over the

weekend and is recovering in Omaha.

The operation was performed Saturday night by Dr. Debra Sudan of the

University of Nebraska Medical Center. LeDoux had been on a waiting

list for a transplant because he has primary sclerosing cholangitis,

a disorder that potentially can result in liver failure.

There is no known cause for the disorder, which is more common in men

and usually strikes between the ages of 30 and 60. LeDoux is 52.

Without a transplant, the life expectancy for patients who have the

disorder is roughly two years.

The operation was successful, and doctors were monitoring LeDoux for

any signs of organ rejection, said Grinnell, a spokeswoman for

the Nebraska Health System, which consists of the former son and

University Hospitals. " He is doing well so far, " Grinnell said.

LeDoux, who lives on a ranch in Wyoming with his family, is known for

his songs about the rodeo lifestyle, which he experienced firsthand

as a bareback riding champion in the 1970s. His concert appearances

have been postponed indefinitely.