Lou Reed’s life has been saved by a liver transplant, it’s been revealed.

The 71-year-old Velvet Underground icon underwent an emergency procedure in Cleveland in April after his own liver failed as a result of years of drug usage.

Reed’s wife, singer Laurie Anderson, said: “It’s as serious as it gets – he was dying.

“You send out two planes, one for the donor, one for the recipient, at the same time. You bring the donor in live and take him off life support. It’s a technological feat. I was completely awestruck.”

Reed echoes her sentiments in a brief statement, saying:

“I am a triumph of modern medicine, physics and chemistry. I am bigger and stronger than stronger than ever. My Chen Taiji and health regimen has served me well all of these years, thanks to Master Ren Guang-yi.

“I look forward to being on stage performing, and writing more songs to connect with your hearts and spirits and the universe well into the future.”

But while Anderson says Reed is no longer on the danger list and is likely to be back at work in just a few months, she adds: “He’ll never fully recover from this.”

His last full-length recording project was 2011′s Lulu, his heavily-criticised collaboration with Metallica.