It’s up to you. Cataracts do not need to become mature or ‘ripe’ before surgery is required as modern surgery is both safe and effective. You do not need to wait for an optician to tell you that your cataract is ready for surgery or that you have fallen below a certain visual standard before considering surgery yourself. As a rule of thumb, most people will seek surgery when cataract has an impact on their everyday life e.g. driving or reading. Certain types of cataract may require surgical intervention for medical reasons e.g. mature cataract or in cases of narrow iridocorneal angle but most people will chose surgery when they feel that they wish to see better than they currently do and cataract is the likely cause.