Katie Piper returned to the Loose Women panel on Wednesday after taking a break from the show for several weeks.
The presenter, 40, explained that she had been undergoing surgery on her left eye after suffering a number of ‘painful’ issues for the past 18 months.
Katie revealed her eye had been sewn shut in order to help it heal after she got an eye infection, to reduce the risk of ‘losing her left eye’.
Welcoming her back, fellow panellist Kaye Adams said: ‘Hello stranger. We haven’t seen you for five or six weeks. And at that time, you were saying you were getting a procedure.’
Katie explained: ‘Yeah, so I had a planned procedure called a tarsorrhaphy, which is a semi-permanent closure of the eye. So it’s an operation done in theatre and your eye is sort of fully or partially stitched up.
Katie Piper returned to the Loose Women panel on Wednesday after taking a break from the show for several weeks
The presenter, 40, explained that she had been undergoing surgery on her left eye after suffering a number of ‘painful’ issues for the past 18 months
Katie revealed her eye had been sewn shut in order to help it heal after she got an eye infection, to reduce the risk of ‘losing her left eye’
‘Some people might be familiar with it, you normally see it when somebody has some kind of disease of the cornea. And closing the eye gives it the optimum environment for it to heal.’
She continued: ‘So I’ve had quite a lot of problems with my eye in the last year-and-a-half. I don’t like to go on about it because there’s always somebody worse off!’
Kaye cut in to say: ‘But do you know what Katie, you never go on about anything. That’s the incredible thing about you, you’re just so stoic, it’s so incredible.’
Katie added: ‘It’s been quite painful, so it’s quite a relief for me to finally have it stitched up because it’s a lot more comfortable.’
She clarified: ‘It’s not permanent, it’s probably going to be like a year like this and then hopefully I can have it opened.’
Describing the procedure, she said: ‘It was a bit like being pregnant, because you feel a bit dizzy and nauseous.
‘And it’s difficult when the other eye is trying to operate, because it does tug a bit. But that does subside and then you get used to it.’
Katie went on: ‘I had the operation a month ago now, so I’m actually okay. I’m still wearing a six-inch high heel!’
She clarified: ‘It’s not permanent, it’s probably going to be like a year like this and then hopefully I can have it opened’ and described the procedure as ‘a bit like being pregnant, because you feel a bit dizzy and nauseous’
Katie (pictured left in 2009 and right in 2022) suffered major injuries and blindness in one eye after she was attacked with acid by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch and accomplice Stefan Sylvestre in 2008
Kaye added: ‘And you’ve got a bit of makeup on!’
Katie laughed and quipped: ‘Of course. Just the one false lash and that is cheaper as well!’
Speaking about how she maintains her eye health, she said: ‘I’ve been taking all these supplements and bonus is my hair’s really grown so I’m thrilled about that.
‘I always try and respect my health which I suppose is more unusual for a younger person because we don’t think about something until it starts to deteriorate.
‘And I suppose I did experience both of my eyes being damaged at quite a young age, so I always feel really grateful and happy that I’m here seeing all these lovely people.’
Katie suffered major injuries and blindness in one eye after she was attacked with acid by her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch and accomplice Stefan Sylvestre in 2008.
She had dated Daniel briefly before the steroid-fuelled martial arts fan, who had a previous conviction for pouring boiling water over a man, became obsessively jealous.
Katie had to wear a mask after the attack and needed 400 operations to treat her severe burns in a long and painstaking process which included pioneering surgery which completely removed the damaged skin from her face and replaced it with a substitute.
Katie opened up about her eye procedure on Instagram last month and shared a gallery of snaps after the operation (pictured with husband Richard James Sutton)
In the lengthy caption she explained the surgery and said the decision to have the operation stemmed from ‘function over aesthetics’
In the wake of her ordeal, she has tirelessly campaigned to keep the topic of such attacks in the forefront of the minds of the public and officials since her horrific experience, and has since set up The Katie Piper Foundation.
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 Daniel could be released from prison after completing his minimum term of 16 years.
Daniel received 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 licence conditions. Police have since said they believe he has fled the country.
Passing sentence against the pair, Judge Nicholas Browne QC said: ‘(The victim) had a face of pure beauty. You, Danny Lynch and Stefan Sylvestre, represent the face of pure evil. The facts of this case are chilling and shocking.
‘You planned and then executed an act of pure, calculated and deliberate evil. You decided to wreck the victim’s life by thrusting a full container of sulphuric acid straight into her face from point- blank range.’
She also revealed her reasoning for being so open about the procedure, while admitting she still finds operations ‘mentally hard’ following her acid attack ordeal
Katie opened up about her eye procedure on Instagram last month and shared a gallery of snaps after the operation.
In the lengthy caption she explained the surgery and said the decision to have the operation stemmed from ‘function over aesthetics.’
She also revealed her reasoning for being so open about the procedure, while admitting she still finds operations ‘mentally hard’ following her acid attack ordeal.
Katie penned: ‘I wanted to put this here for a few reasons: Firstly to educate that living with the kind of injures I have means things will change through out your life and sometimes things go backwards. 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 loosing my eye completely.
‘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.
‘I’m still the same person. I’ve just had different path in life to most and that’s ok. For most part I live a fulfilling, privileged and very happy life. For that I’m extremely grateful for. 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.’
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
