Ten questions before cataract surgery

How to use it

1. Download and print all three pages, or view them on your device.
2. Check the questions that matter to you and note the activities you want to see better.
3. Take the checklist to your appointment and write down your ophthalmologist’s answers.

Ten questions in three sections

• A. Is surgery right for me?
• B. The lens and my vision afterward
• C. Surgery and recovery

The checklist covers lens choices and glasses, medical history and medications, preparation, recovery and getting help.

Share it with someone who needs it

Share this resource with family, patients, associations and senior centers. The download is free and does not require an email address.

A resource by Pablo Artal

Physicist and Professor of Optics at the University of Murcia, Spain. His research explores how the eye forms images and what limits visual quality.

Educational information to help you prepare for an appointment. It does not replace your ophthalmologist’s assessment or instructions.

Revised November 1, 2026 · Version 4

Learn more

I Have Cataracts: What Should I Know?

An accessible guide for patients and families to understanding the diagnosis, surgery and intraocular lenses.