Dinoire fell ill last winter after her body rejected a new skin graft, leaving her with limited function in her lips. The immunosuppressants and other treatments that Dinoire routinely received took their toll over the years, and she recently developed two different cancers.

Dinoire died on April 22, 2016, though the hospital in Amiens only announced her passing today. Officials have not offered a reason for the delayed announcement.

Dinoire's surgery opened the doors for subsequent face transplants around the world, including two full-face procedures in the United States. Surgeons at Cleveland Clinic recently attempted the nation's first uterus transplant, though that failed after two weeks. In May, surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital successfully completed the first penis transplant in the US.