Patient dies after quadruple limb transplant in Turkey

A Turkish patient who underwent what was touted as the world's first quadruple limb transplant died Monday, the hospital announced.

Fifty-two doctors from Ankara's Hacettepe University Hospital performed the transplant Friday, attaching two arms and two legs to Sevket Cavdar,.

They first removed one leg from the patient after his heart and vascular system failed to sustain the limb and then the other leg and two arms.

Cavdar, 27, had lost his arms and legs in 1998 when he was accidentally electrocuted.

The patient, who was in the intensive care unit after the removal of the limb, died due to "metabolic imbalance, which seriously threatened his life," said the hospital in a statement.

"We are in deep sorrow of losing our patient despite the ceaseless efforts of nearly 200 doctors and health personnel for about 90 hours," it added.

The operation came on the heels of the country's first-ever face transplant at another Turkish university hospital.

NewsCore and the Associated Press contributed to this article.