Confused after cataract surgery

I didn't get the regular lens, but it is my understanding that you chose to have near or far sight when they replace the lens.  Which means you can see far with no assistance from glasses but will need the glasses for reading.  

I went with the multifocal lens which allows me to see without glasses at certain distances , I haven't touched glasses since May 2, 2016 my first lens.  I suspect you have a far sight lens and will need glasses for your reading vision. 

I would check on that , never heard of a now power lens for cataract, it is a monofocal , which there is power for either far or near.  So I don't think I can offer any advice other than check with the doctor.  I wish you luck

 

A cataract's impact is usually mostly to   blur vision at all distances, though there is some chance it can reduce accommodation (the ability of the natural lens to change shape  to focus near) which might be what happened in your case to reduce near vision. I don't know if you are old enough to have had presbyopia before this, the reduction in accommodation that leads people as they get older to need to wear  correction in order to read. If you just got a standard monofocal IOL (which is what the overwhelming majority of patients get, partly since is covered by insurance or government payment plans), the artificial lens can't change shape to accommodate to see near, it is essentially like the level of presbyopia of an elderly patient with the maximum reading add.

When you wear distance correction with a monofocal IOL, the general guideline I'd heard is that things 6 feet and inward start to get blurry. People's eyes vary in their natural "depth of focus" (how much they can see near even without their eye changing focus) so a very tiny  lucky minority can do some reading with a monofocal IOL set for distance, but most people shouldn't expect that. With a monofocal IOL, that eye will need correction to see near (e.g. either reading glasses, bifocals, progressive/varifocal glasses, multifocal contact lenses, or contact lenses set for monovision).

They should have explained to you the issue of losing the ability to focus near with a monofocal IOL.  There are premium IOLs (which usually require out of pocket payment) which give people better closer in vision, like multifocals,  accommodating lenses, or extended depth of focus lenses (they use   different methods for trying to give people a wider range of vision). People with monofocal IOLs sometimes get them set for monovision, where one eye is set for distance and the other eye is set for vision closer in. 

 

Although this issue doesn't related to your concerns, I'll note It is incredibly unlikely the IOL has no power. Someone who doesn't need vision correction before surgery might need an IOL power in say the low 20s.  To correct someone for perfect distance vision who is highly myopic, a low power IOL is required, which potentially might be as low as 0 diopters or lower (though usually its > 0  even for most high myopes). You say you weren't corrected for perfect distance vision, but instead were left highly myopic so your old glasses work (which is  rare to do, and a questionable approach). If someone wishes to be left as myopic as they were before surgery, then a *higher* lens power is required than what would be needed for what would correct them for perfect distance vision, e.g. likely more on the order of 20 diopters or more. 

Two months after surgery and a (slight) change in prescription, my right eye is still not functioning properly.  I saw another optician this week, who baased on the results of a field of vision test, is referring me back to hospital.  As I suspected, removal of the cataract was unnecessary at this stage - and is not the cause of my problem.