I am considering cataract removal for my 80 year old father, what are things to consider?

Usually successful: Cataract surgery is usually successful with a low complication rate. It's an outpatient procedure and requires only a mild sedation anesthesia. Make sure the surgeon knows about all the medications he is taking. One in particular he should know about is Flomax (tamsulosin) which affects the pupil of the eye. Also anticoagulants. He will be delighted with how well it improves his vison.

Low risk, high gain: Cataract surgery can yield tremendous improvements in quality of life and is a low risk procedure. 80 is a common age for cataract surgery, especially in men who may wait longer than women to have the procedure done. Usually, eye drops will have to be used several times a day for a couple of weeks, and there are a few post-op visits. Usually there is very little disruption in daily activities.

Safe Cataract Surger: Depending on other risk factors (length of eye: if very short; history of other eye, h/o trauma, diabetes, on aspirin, flomax, (tamsulosin) general health, etc) cataract surgery is generally very safe and recommended if vision