MEDICINE : Triple Transplant Recipient Dies

The world’s first recipient of a heart, liver and kidney transplant has died, nearly four months after the triple transplant, hospital officials said today.

Cindy Martin died Monday evening at Presbyterian-University Hospital, said Administrator Pat Carlier. Martin was 26.

Doctors listed the cause of death as recurrent non-A, non-B hepatitis, resulting in multi-system failure with an overwhelming infection called sepsis, a common post-transplant complication.

Martin underwent a 21 1/2-hour transplant operation Dec. 2 and 3.