Objective To investigate the effect of small incision non-phacoemulsification cataract surgery in the treatment of nuclear sclerotic cataract. Methods A total of 80 patients with nuclear sclerotic cataract admitted to Shanghe County People's Hospital from January 2021 to June 2022 were selected as the research objects and divided into control group and study group according to the random number table method, with 40 cases in each group. The control group was treated with traditional phacoemulsification cataract surgery, and the study group was treated with small incision non-phacoemulsification cataract surgery. The clinical efficacy, recovery of ocular related indicators, operation time, complications and satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results The total effective rate of the study group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The corneal astigmatism and intraocular pressure in the study group were lower than those in the control group, and the visual acuity, corneal endothelial cell count and central anterior chamber depth were better than those in the control group (P<0.05). The operation time of the study group was shorter than that of the control group (P<0.05). The total incidence of complications in the study group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The satisfaction of the study group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Small incision non-phacoemulsification cataract surgery for nuclear sclerotic cataract can improve the clinical symptoms of the eye, improve the visual acuity level, reduce the incidence of complications, and the patient satisfaction is high, which is worthy of clinical application.