'Please don't troll me': Acid attack survivor's message after undergoing latest surgery

Acid attack survivor Katie Piper has shared a heartfelt plea to her social media followers after undergoing her latest surgery.

The British TV personality, model and author, 40, has faced trolling online since she was targeted in a horrific attack in 2008. The mum was assaulted by a random man while walking down the street in London, and it was later found her ex-boyfriend had planned the incident.

She has since undergone almost 400 surgeries, including one this week.

On Wednesday, Piper shared snaps of herself in her hospital gown with a special note for those who leave harsh comments: "?As I recover I'm asking that you please don't troll me."

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Explaining her most recent surgery, a Tarsorrhaphy ¨C a procedure that joins part or all of the upper and lower eyelids so as to partially or completely close the eye ¨C Piper noted she wanted to use her platform to educate.

"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," she wrote.

"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."

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Explaining the surgery, she wrote, ?"Temporary tarsorrhaphies are used to help the cornea heal or to protect the cornea during a short period of exposure or disease. I've also had scar tissue operated on on my right eye, so that will also be slightly swollen."

"With a disfigurement, surgical decisions have to be based around function not aesthetics," she added.

"In my case I am trying to preserve the eye, avoid perforation and loosing my eye completely."

Though 15 years have passed since the attack, the comments Piper receives about her appearance still pain her today.

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"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," the broadcaster wrote.

"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."

Piper concluded her post with a thank you note to her surgeons and to her Instagram following, which is predominantly "intelligent, interesting and kind."