What are effective alternatives to cataract surgery?

No surgery: Cataract surgery is considered an elective procedure. Except for a few situiations, you, as the patient, decide when you want to have the surgery. If you are happy with your vision, you can wait on the surgery as long a you want.

Glasses and observe: There is no known cure for cataract other than surgery. In the early stages updating glasses or contacts can delay the surgery. Almost everyone in developed countries will live long enough to form visually significant cataract. The cataract then continues to slowly progress. The good new is that patients often end up with better vision after surgery with implants than before cataract formed.

None: There is no alternative to cataract surgery that will cure the cataract and restore your vision. Surgery is elective and one can wait, but the vision will remain the same and most likely will continue to progressively get worse overtime. Surgery is the only way to fix the problem once it becomes a problem. No magic pill or drops have been proven to cure or slow cataracts.