BACKGROUND: Cataract is the major cause of global blindness, accounting for 40 to 80% of all blindness in developing countries. The number of people blind from cataract is expected to rise due to the changing age distribution and increasing life expectancy. There is currently no proven intervention to prevent cataract and surgery is the only form of treatment. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review is to compare the effects of different surgical interventions for age-related cataract. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register - CENTRAL/CCTR, which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group specialised register (Cochrane Library Issue 3 2001), MEDLINE (1966 to August 2001), EMBASE (1980 to September 2001), the reference lists of identified trials, and we contacted investigators and experts in the field for details of published and unpublished trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials evaluating surgical treatment for people with age-related cataract. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently extracted data and discrepancies were resolved by discussion. Where appropriate, relative risks, odds ratios and weighted mean differences were summarised after assessing heterogeneity between the studies. We used a fixed effect model due to the low number of trials in each comparison. MAIN RESULTS: We identified six trials that randomised a total of 7828 people. Phacoemulsification gave a better visual outcome than extracapsular surgery and gave a similar average cost per procedure in one trial conducted in the UK. Extracapsular surgery with posterior chamber lens implant and intracapsular surgery with or without an anterior chamber intraocular lens implant gave acceptable visual outcomes at 12 to 24 months after surgery. In three large trials in south Asia, best-corrected visual acuity of less than 6/60 ranged from 0.5 to 4%. Higher rates of poor outcome were observed in a multicentre study with 19 surgeons compared to a single-centre study with two surgeons. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: This review provides evidence from one randomised controlled trial that phacoemulsification gives a better visual outcome than extracapsular extraction with sutures. However, this trial was conducted in a developed country specialised hospital setting and extrapolation to other settings must be made with caution. This review also found evidence that extracapsular cataract extraction with a posterior chamber lens implant provides better visual outcome than intracapsular extraction with aphakic glasses. This finding is also based on the results of a single trial. The long term effects of posterior capsular opacification need to be assessed in larger populations. The data in the review suggest that intracapsular extraction with an anterior chamber lens implant is an effective alternative to intracapsular extraction with aphakic glasses, with similar safety. Further data from developing regions are needed to compare all aspects of intraocular lens surgery with the three main surgical procedures - intracapsular extraction with an anterior chamber lens, extracapsular surgery with a posterior chamber lens with or without sutures.