Cataracts eventually require surgery and surgery is the best way to treat cataracts. Many patients ask, “So when should I have surgery for cataracts is the best? There are two common misconceptions about this issue: First, cataracts should wait until they are mature before surgery. The previous view is that cataract surgery should wait until vision drops below 0.1. In this case, there are several disadvantages, such as as as the cataract continues to worsen, the damage to intraocular tissues increases, and the chance of postoperative complications increases. Moreover, during the process of cataract expansion, there is a possibility of inducing acute glaucoma attacks. Once acute attacks occur, changes such as iris atrophy, corneal endothelial damage, and post-iris adhesions will seriously affect the surgical results and even lead to permanent loss of vision. Therefore, cataracts should not be operated only when the vision is very poor. Second, the earlier the cataract surgery, the better. The human body’s own crystal has the function of adjustment, through which we can see both far and near. Although the development of IOLs has been rapid in recent years, the adjustment range, adjustment speed and imaging quality of IOLs are not comparable to those of our own crystals. In addition, early cataracts only show changes in refractive power because of the expansion of the crystal volume, which means that good vision can be obtained by wearing glasses, so it is also incorrect to blindly pursue early surgery and ignore the possible drawbacks of surgery. So, when exactly should cataract surgery be most appropriate? There is no fixed pattern for choosing the timing of cataract surgery. In the past, due to the limitation of medical level, cataracts had to wait until they were completely “mature” and invisible before surgery could be performed, and patients had to endure the trouble and pain of low vision for a long time. Patients also do not have to wait until they are completely blind before surgery, but can choose surgery when cataract seriously affects their daily life and work. Having surgery early does not increase the risk of surgery for an experienced surgeon. For different patients, the time to receive surgery sooner or later also varies greatly. Most doctors currently believe that cataracts are needed for vision around 0.3, or at least below 0.2. Of course, depending on the patient’s requirements, earlier surgery is also possible. For example, for patients who have the requirement to drive, we can operate earlier even if they have 0.5 vision. In many developed countries, it is already common to receive surgery for 0.5 vision, and we have come into contact with many patients who have better than 0.5 vision, but who feel that their visual quality is poor, and their post-operative visual quality has improved significantly. The number of cases with such requirements in our country is also increasing. And for a person with less demanding vision, it is not a bad idea to wait until the surgery is done when the vision is poor. In short, when to receive surgical treatment must be determined from the actual requirements of the patient and discussed between the doctor and patient to determine the timing of surgery.