[What is a Cataract, and When Should its Removal be Indicated? An Opinion].

Not every cataract needs phacoemulsification. One problem is the terminological differentiation between "physiological loss of transparency due to ageing" and "cataract". In case of a "real cataract" the autonomous patient must be informed "in any direction". The time of phacoemulsification is determined by the patient and not by the ophthalmologist. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.