Marilyn Walsh Caregiver, consumer/patient, peer reviewer, patient advocate Hamilton, Ontario

Cochrane Review supports effectiveness of unpleasant procedure 

I initially became involved with Cochrane to comment on reviews regarding my own condition, which is arthritis but, ironically, it is a review from the Eyes and Vision Review Group that has had the most impact for me.

My then 83-year-old mother lost most of the vision in one eye overnight due to an abrupt hemorrhage from wet age-related macular degeneration in 2012. It was strongly recommended that she begin a course of injections of the medication ranibizumab (Lucentis) directly into her eye beginning within a week.

Having needles injected through the eyeball while wide awake is not a procedure that anyone looks forward to and I didn't want my mother to endure it if it wasn't the best possible treatment. Being an emergency, there was no time for second opinions so I immediately turned to The Cochrane Library. The review and accompanying podcast, "Antiangiogenic therapy with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor modalities for neovascular age-related macular degeneration" gave me the answers I needed.

As the person my mother relies on most for health-related decisions, I was able to reassure her that although unpleasant, these injections were indeed the best current treatment available for her condition. Acting quickly resulted in the restoration of some of my mother's eyesight.


Back to winning stories