Do We Have A Choice?

There were a dozen or so successful cataract reversal eyedrops
developed since 1960, backed by solid research. Most had demonstrated safety and effectiveness in vitro, and one has done so in human clinical trials.
The researchers who made these discoveries were chemists, biochemists and biophysicists from world-renowned universities. Interestingly, ophthalmologists were hardly ever involved in the development of these eyedrops. The result is that surgery is the only option we have to deal with cataract today.
In one Internet forum, when somebody else complained about the current situation, a cataract surgeon replied, "No one is forcing you to have cataract surgery". No? Well, if all the other alternative treatments were never implemented, and we refuse surgery, then what other choice do we have? Partial or total blindness?
If that isn't equivalent to "forcing us to have surgery" - then I don't know what is!