Cataract surgery is the only effective treatment for cataracts. Take a careful history from the patient. If a patient has symptoms and signs consistent with cataract and wishes to be considered for cataract surgery, they should be referred to the Hospital Eye Service (HES) for review.
If they have unexplained reduction in vision but you are unable to confirm the diagnosis with clinical examination, they may be able to have their diagnosis confirmed by an optometrist, but if in doubt then refer for review in the eye clinic.
Cataracts are rarely an emergency and so routine referral is most often appropriate. Many hospitals have a specific streamlined service specifically for cataracts. If a patient has mild cataracts but is keen on surgical intervention, it may still be possible for them to undergo surgery at the discretion of the ophthalmic surgeon. It is no longer necessary to wait for cataracts to mature. Instead, ophthalmologists balance the risks of surgery with the benefit that the patient stands to gain. A patient may require cataract surgery in order to meet the DVLA requirement for driving visual acuity (better than or equal to 6/10 vision).
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