In a clinical first, a damaged human liver has been treated and preserved in a machine for three days before being successfully transplanted into a patient, Swiss doctors have revealed

Their patient, who had end-stage liver disease and liver cancer, quickly recovered his quality of life without any signs of liver damage, such as bile duct injury, or rejection, they report in Nature Biotechnology.

And he remains healthy a year after surgery, according to the University Hospital Zurich-led case report.

The development may save lives as it should increase the number of livers available for transplant and allow surgery to be scheduled days in advance, they say.