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Vision

Even before I needed cataract surgery I had very poor vision due what they call a very small optic nerve and the pigmentation in my eyes ( some Dr called me a true blond) The very best I ever hoped to be corrected to before getting cataracts was 20/40 20/50 maybe.
The really good thing about it was I could read anything a natural bifocal they called it.
Since my surgery ( they gave me one lens for distance and one for reading ) My reading is terrible lots of things I need a magnifying glass to see and you can't always have a magnifying glass with you. If I had clear lens instead of prescription ones could I read like I did before the surgery? If so can the lens be replaced? I know I would need glasses for my distance vision but that would be no different than I have been all my life.
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Avatar universal
The implanted lenses can change everything about your vision.  Some people tolerate a mix of close and far, while others don't.  How long ago was your surgery?  When did you last get glasses with a new prescription?  Have you tried progressive lenses?  You ask about IOL lens exchange -- yes, it can be done, but I suggest experimenting with glasses and contacts before pursuing that route.  Best wishes.
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Avatar universal
My surgery was about 1 1/2 years ago Got my initial lens change to my glasses right after my surgeries. Working on getting a new pair of lens by next week. Not expecting any improvement in my ability to read but we will see ( no pun intended ) Being able to read anything I wanted  was the one good thing that came out of such poor distant vision and now I don't even have that. Sounds a whole lot like a pity party I guess. Many people out there with worse vision than I have. I don't drive a lot but I do cook, read books, do things on the computer all the kind of things you need close up vision for. Thanks for your input
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Avatar universal
It isn't clear if you are saying you had this poor reading vision immediately after surgery, or if your reading vision got worse over time. If it got worse over time, it is possible you have something called PCO which can cloud your vision and make it worse, which a doctor would be able to diagnose from looking in your eyes. It is also possible that your other eye issues unrelated to the cataract surgery have gotten worse unfortunately.

It sounds like you are saying you have issues with your eye which left your best corrected vision to be 20/40 or 20/50 even before the cataracts and surgery. That "best corrected" can't be improved with either a lens inside your eye or outside your eye.

They should be able to give you glasses that will give you the best vision possible for reading distance. If glasses won't give you good reading vision, then changing the IOL, the intraocular lens inside your eye, won't be able to improve that. (I am assuming from the description you have monofocal lenses, if they were multifocal then it is possible a lens swap may  help).

If your glasses do give you good enough vision for reading, then it may be possible for them to change the IOL to give you good vision for reading all the time in either one eye or both. If you do both eyes for near you then  need glasses for distance. There are premium lenses that correct for more than one distance, but they aren't always possible after a lens exchange and your other eye problems may mean they aren't an option for you. Lens exchange does involve risks and costs and is something to be sure you really want to do.

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