There are many cataract patients, who could be wailing infants, or elderly people not as good as before. The appropriate time for cataract surgery should be determined based on the specific conditions of the cataract patient. Performing the surgery when visual blurring first appears due to cataracts is the best option; the longer it is delayed, the more detrimental it becomes to one's vision.
1. Patients with rubella syndrome should not undergo surgery too early, because in the early stages after infection, the rubella virus still exists within the lens, and surgery may cause viral release leading to iritis. Surgery is generally recommended between 2-4 years of age.
2. For localized lens opacity that does not affect daily play and where vision remains above 0.3, surgery can be postponed until ages 4-5, but should not be delayed beyond 6 years old, otherwise it might result in irreversible amblyopia.
3. Bilateral incomplete cataracts: if bilateral vision is below 0.1 and the fundus cannot be observed, surgery should be performed as soon as possible.
4. For cases of complete bilateral cataracts present at birth, where the retina does not receive normal stimulation significantly affecting visual function development, surgery should be conducted as early as possible, typically within 1-2 months after birth and no later than 6 months. The second eye should undergo cataract surgery within a week of the first eye’s operation, and postoperative monocular occlusion should not exceed one week to prevent deprivation amblyopia caused by monocular occlusion.
5. For unilateral congenital cataracts where the lens opacity is located in the pupil area, or where bilateral vision is below 0.3, cataract surgery should be performed as soon as possible around ages 2-3.