At the age of 59 I smacked my head hard enough on a low tree branch to detatch the vitreous humor in my right eye. This tore the retina and resulted in an emergency vitrectomy and laser surgery to seal the tears. My eyesight returned to normal but within six months a cataract started to develop in the lens of my right eye. I could see the moon surrounded by eight fainter images just touching each other and the central brighter image. A couple of months later my optician advised that the condition was advanced enough to refer me to the local hospital for a cataract operation. That happened when I was 60, so pretty young by normal patient standards for the operation.
The following day, I had perfect vision in my right eye. Although the replacement lens was a fixed focus one, because of my relative youth, I can focus the eye at closer distances and am able to read without glasses. Although to be honest, reading glasses do make a difference and make it easier to read paper books. Reading on an iPad, computer, or Kindle, you just turn up the screen brightness a bit and everything is easily read.
The vitrectomy was uncomfortable and required lying with my head in a fixed position for several days, with 5 minute breaks for nature calls only.
The catarcat operation took 20 minutes and required no aftercare apart from eye drops for a couple of weeks.
I have been told that a cataract is slowly starting to develop in my left eye now and the signs are evident once you know what to look for, doubling or smearing of pinpoint lights in the distance, even with glasses for correction. I will have no hesitation in getting that cataract removed also when or if it develops to a stage where it interferes with normal activities.
There is a 1 in 500 risk of infection or some other complication involved in these surgical proceedures. Given the age at which most people have this surgery done, I feel the odds are a lot better if you are younger. Apparently smoking can promote cataracts so I haven't done myself any favours on that score!