Life-Saving Dual Organ Transplant Performed at Strong Memorial Hospital Restores Health of Young Woman
A Chili mother, Ashley Cuylear, has undergone life-saving dual-organ transplant surgeries at UR Medicine's Strong Memorial Hospital. The surgeries, which included a new heart and a new kidney, marked the end of a decade of illness for Cuylear, who has been battling lupus nephritis.
Cuylear's journey began when she started experiencing exhaustion and struggled to climb stairs, initially attributing these symptoms to her dialysis therapy. Her mother sought immediate medical attention at Strong's Emergency Department, setting in motion the series of events that would ultimately save Cuylear's life.
The transplant surgery teams and support staff from throughout the hospital worked harmoniously for the dual-organ transplant. More than 250 clinical and support staff, enough to fill three city buses, were involved in her care. The surgeries, which lasted over 14 hours, were led by a team of experienced surgeons, including Wood, Gosev, Simon, Chang for the heart transplant, and Pineda-Solis, Orloff, and Gu for the kidney transplant.
Organ donation is a critical component of Cuylear's life-saving surgeries. In the U.S., there are more than 104,000 people waiting for organ transplants, far exceeding the number of organs donated each year. At Strong Memorial Hospital, there are more than 500 people waiting for a new kidney, heart, liver, and pancreas, including nine who need multiple organs.
Lupus, an hereditary autoimmune disorder, causes the body to attack its own organs, often beginning with the kidneys and later the heart. Strong Memorial Hospital is the only center in Upstate New York to provide heart and liver transplantation, in addition to kidney and pancreas transplants.
After the surgeries, Cuylear expressed her gratitude to her donor and said she wants to thank the donor's family. The timing of the kidney transplant indicated the new heart was powerful because sometimes the transplant is delayed a day if the new heart needs time to "wake up."
However, it is important to note that while organ transplant survival rates have been improving over time in the U.S., exact dual-organ (heart-kidney) transplant success rates for Strong Memorial Hospital are not detailed in the sources available. For precise and up-to-date success rates, one would typically consult the hospital’s transplant program directly, UNOS reports with hospital-level data if available, or peer-reviewed medical literature focused on their transplant outcomes.
In general, dual-organ transplant survival rates, especially heart-kidney, commonly have 1-year survival rates around 80–90% in experienced centers in the U.S., but rates vary widely by patient and center specifics.
Cuylear's successful outcome is a testament to the dedication and expertise of the clinical and support staff from nearly 20 departments throughout the University of Rochester Medical Center. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of organ donation and the life-saving impact it can have on individuals and their families.
Science and health-and-wellness intertwine in the story of Ashley Cuylear, a mother who battled chronic kidney disease due to lupus nephritis. Cuylear's life was saved by therapies-and-treatments, including a dual-organ transplant at Strong Memorial Hospital, where she received a new heart and a new kidney. Medical-conditions like chronic kidney disease and lupus highlight the critical importance of organ donation, a topic that stresses the need for increased awareness and donations to save countless lives.
