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Katie Piper reveals relief of skin graft surgery to eye

Katie Piper has spoken of her relief after having surgery to graft new skin onto her eyelid.

The 36-year-old TV presenter and mental health campaigner has undergone multiple operations to reconstruct her face and restore her vision after she was the victim of an acid attack by an ex-boyfriend in 2008.

Piper spoke to Christine Lampard on ITV’s Lorraine about her experience of attending hospital as lockdown restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic began to ease.

Katie Piper poses for photographers ahead of the Julien Macdonald Spring/Summer 2020 fashion week runway show in London, Monday, Sept. 16, 2019. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Katie Piper has undergone pioneering surgery to reconstruct her face after suffering an acid attack in 2008. (AP)

She said: “I felt fine about it. It’s something I’ve had done before, it’s a skin graft to my eyelid.

Read more: Katie Piper defends censored acid attack post on Instagram

“It was a relief to have the surgery as my eye was getting infected a lot and getting sore.”

Katie Piper discusses relief of eye surgery on Lorraine. (ITV)
Katie Piper discusses relief of eye surgery on Lorraine. (ITV)

Piper also revealed: “It’s a week today [since the operation]. As soon as I finish talking to you I’m heading to the hospital to have this bandage removed, which I’m very happy about as it’s getting a little bit itchy and hot, but itchy is always a sign of healing, so that’s good.”

The model rose to fame following her acid attack after waiving her right to anonymity to help raise awareness for burns victims.

Piper - who has two daughters aged two and six with carpenter husband Richard Sutton - also opened up about the highs and lows of lockdown.

Katie Piper and husband Richard Sutton have two daughters. (Getty Images)
Katie Piper and husband Richard Sutton have two daughters. (Getty Images)

She said: “One of the positive things for me in lockdown has been working from home and being able to spend more time with them and less commuting. It’s really good to look for the light in the darkness in times like this.”

Read more: Katie Piper opens up about eye problems

But she admitted home schooling had been a challenge.

Piper said: “That’s challenging. I think mainly because of their age gap – one’s two and one’s six. And I have continued to work in lockdown. The majority of my work requires silence and that’s not a word that’s in their vocabulary at the moment.”

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