Salih Üslün, Turkey's sixth face transplant patient, died Thursday night due to respiratory failure after he received a facial soft tissue removal operation almost three weeks ago

Salih Üslün, 55, underwent a face transplant operation in August 2013 when the organs of 31-year-old Muhittin Turan were donated by his family. Turan had a motorbike accident before being pronounced brain dead at the hospital.

Üslün underwent facial soft tissue removal surgery on June 16, when doctors noticed deterioration in his health since last year's operation.

Surgeons decided with the hospital's council to perform an operation on Üslün once again to remove a portion of the face's soft tissue and insert his own soft tissue from his thigh.

Prof. Ömer Özkan of Turkey's Akdeniz University Hospital told Anadolu Agency that the patient's condition worsened last week.

Üslün, who has been in intensive care since the last surgery, died Thursday due to respiratory failure.