Who needs cataract surgery?

The answer is very simple.  When the cataract impairs your vision so that you can't function well, it is time to consider surgery.  The time for surgery is different for nearly every person.  If you need sharp vision to drive a car or to fly an airplane you will be asking for surgery when the cataract is early in the maturation process.  Some patients wish only to read clearly and these patients can wait a long time before having surgery because reading vision is affected much later than distant vision.