Katie Piper reveals she’s undergone surgery to ‘avoid losing her left eye’ and admits she finds operations ‘mentally hard’ after acid attack ordeal
Katie Piper revealed she had surgery to reduce her risk of ‘losing her left eye’ in a candid Instagram post shared on Wednesday.
The presenter, 40, shared a series of photos of her eyes after the procedure as she admitted she still finds surgery ‘mentally tough’ following her acid attack.
Katie suffered serious injuries and blindness in one eye after she was attacked with acid by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch and accomplice Stefan Sylvestre in 2008.
In the aftermath of her ordeal, she has campaigned tirelessly to keep the issue of such attacks at the forefront of the public’s and officials’ minds since her horrific experience, and has since established the Katie Piper Foundation.
In her post, Katie explained that she had developed tarsorrhaphy in her left eye, which “can help the cornea heal or protect the cornea during a short period of exposure or illness.”
Update: Katie Piper has revealed she has undergone surgery to reduce her risk of ‘losing her left eye’ in a candid Instagram post shared on Wednesday
Candid: The presenter shared a series of photos of her eyes after the procedure as she admitted she still finds surgery ‘mentally tough’ after her acid attack
Katie posted a lengthy caption, adding that it is hoped the surgery will “save her eye,” and that the decision to have the surgery was based on “function over aesthetics.”
Katie wrote: ‘This is me! (For now). On Tuesday I had a planned operation, a tarsorrhaphy on my left eye.
‘Tarsorrhaphy is the joining of part or all of the upper and lower eyelids to close all or part of the eye.
‘Temporary tarsorrhaphys are used to help the cornea heal or to protect the cornea during a short period of exposure or illness. I also had surgery on my right eye for scar tissue, so that will also be somewhat swollen.
‘I wanted to post this here for a few reasons:
‘Firstly, to learn that living with the kind of injuries I have means that things will change throughout your life and sometimes things will deteriorate. There isn’t really an end point and part of this kind of recovery is accepting it.
“Second, surgical decisions for a deformity should be based on function and not aesthetics. In my case I am trying to preserve the eye, avoid perforation and losing my eye completely.
‘Just because something is on permanent display doesn’t give people the right to constantly comment on your appearance – you never know what’s going on in someone’s life.
Explanation: In her post, Katie explained that she had developed tarsorrhaphy in her left eye, which “can help the cornea heal or protect the cornea during a short period of exposure or illness.”
Procedure: Katie posted a lengthy caption, adding that she hoped the surgery will “save her eye,” and that the decision to have the surgery was based on “function over aesthetics.”
Admission: Katie said: ‘I’m fine with looking different from everyone else, but surgery can sometimes take me back to memories of how this all started and that’s mentally difficult’
‘Even if this helps someone else…. Yes, I find it difficult sometimes. I’m okay with looking different from everyone else, but surgeries can sometimes take me back to memories of how this all started and that’s mentally difficult.
“I always think I’m incredibly lucky to have this space here on IG. I feel like I have an intelligent, interesting and friendly following.
‘So I know most of you will find this update helpful and have probably had your own similar journey of medical or mental recovery, but for the few who send messages or leave negative comments (I’ve heard them all before, nothing new) then this explanation/training is for you.
‘I’m still the same person. I’ve just had a different path in life than most and that’s okay. For the most part, I live a fulfilling, privileged and very happy life. I am extremely grateful for that. But while I recover, I ask 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 am so grateful to him and his team for their care, compassion and skill.”
Katie’s ex Daniel was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years for the violence inflicted on Katie when she was just 24 years old.
In September it emerged that Daniel could be released from prison after completing his minimum term of sixteen years.
Daniel was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years after being convicted of rape, GBH and ABH at Wood Green Crown Court in 2009.
His co-conspirator, Stefan, who threw the acid at Katie, admitted GBH and was given a life sentence with a minimum term of six years.
He was released in 2018 but was recalled to prison for breaching his license conditions. Police have since said they believe he has fled the country.
Judge Nicholas Browne QC told the pair at sentencing: ‘(The victim) had a face of pure beauty. You, Danny Lynch and Stefan Sylvestre, represent the face of pure evil. The facts in this case are chilling and shocking.
“You planned and then executed an act of pure, calculated and deliberate evil.
Traumatic: Katie (pictured left in 2009 and right in 2022) was left with horrific injuries after Stefan Sylvestre, then 19, threw acid at her in 2008
“You decided to destroy the victim’s life by throwing a full container of sulfuric acid straight into her face at close range.”
Katie was attacked in Golders Green, north London, in 2008.
She had briefly dated Daniel before the steroid-fuelled martial arts fan, who was previously convicted of pouring boiling water on a man, became obsessively jealous.
Model and TV presenter Katie had to wear a mask after the attack and required 400 operations to treat her severe burns in a long and arduous process, including a groundbreaking operation that completely removed the damaged skin from her face and replaced it with a replacement mask.