Katie Piper 'finds it hard' as she gets surgery to 'avoid losing eye completely'

23 November 2023 , 07:53

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Katie Piper 'finds it hard' as she gets surgery to 'avoid losing eye completely' (Image: Instagram)

Loose Women star Katie Piper revealed she underwent eye surgery to 'avoid losing her eye completely.'

The 40-year-old presenter suffered major injuries and blindness in one eye after being attacked with acid by her ex-boyfriend and an accomplice in 2008. She underwent pioneering surgery to restore her face and vision but faced many complications to her health since the horrific incident.

Katie uses her platform as a public figure to raise awareness of acid attacks and regularly shares updates on her health complications. She also set up The Katie Piper Foundation. On Wednesday, she took to social media to share a few snaps from the hospital after undergoing tarsorrhaphy surgery on her left eye.

The eye surgery is the joining of part or all of the upper and lower eyelids so as to partially or completely close the eye. Temporary tarsorrhaphies are used to help the cornea heal or to protect the cornea during a short period of exposure or disease.

Katie shared an update on her eye surgery (Instagram)

She underwent tarsorrhaphy surgery on her left eye (Instagram)

Taking to the caption, she explained: "I’ve also had scar tissue operated on on my right eye, so that will also be slightly swollen. I wanted to put this here for a few reasons: Firstly to educate that living with the kind of injuries I have means things will change throughout your life and sometimes things go backwards.

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"There isn’t really an end point and part of this kind of recovery is acceptance of that. Secondly with a disfigurement surgical decisions have to be based around function not aesthetics. In my case, I am trying to preserve the eye, avoid perforation and losing my eye completely. "

She continued: "Also just because something is on view permanently it doesn’t give people the right to constantly comment on your appearance- you never know what’s going on in someone’s life. Also, if this helps anyone else…. yes I do sometimes find it hard. I’m ok with looking different to everyone else but operations can sometimes take me back to memories of how this all started and that’s hard mentally.

"I always think I’m incredibly lucky with this space here on IG. I feel like I have an intelligent, interesting and kind following. So I know most of you will find this update useful and probably have had your own similar journeys of medical or mental health recoveries, but for the few that will send msgs or leave negative comments (I’ve heard them all before, nothing new) then this explanation/ education is for you."

Reflecting on her life, Katie wrote: "I’m still the same person. I’ve just had a different path in life to most and that’s ok. For the most part I live a fulfilling, privileged and very happy life. For that, I’m extremely grateful. But as I recover I’m asking that you please don’t troll me. Thank you to my eye surgeon Mr Joshi for taking care of my eyelids all these years. I’m so grateful to him and his team for care, compassion and skill."

Zara Woodcock