VIDEOS: Abused central Arkansas woman returns to national talk show after surgery

A central Arkansas victim of domestic abuse who shared her near-death experience on TV show The Doctors says she has regained confidence after surgery to treat a damaged eye.

Brandi Smith of Conway told viewers of the daytime program in May that her husband had beat her, banged her head on concrete and tried to pull her eye out, according to the show.

In a taped episode airing Friday, The Doctors was set to revisit her story and provide a post-surgery update.

Smith told the show that her husband initially treated her “like a princess.” After nine months, their relationship changed.




During her period of reported abuse, Smith suffered a severely damaged right eye and developed double vision, she said. She also had difficulty reading because a ripped eye muscle kept her from tracking back and forth.

Smith was sent by the show to a team of specialists for a micro-needling technique. That procedure treated a skin graft on her eye to make it less bulky, allowing it to heal faster, according to the show. Another procedure was done to treat her double vision.

“Today, I’m happier… more confident. He did not win,” Smith told The Doctors, noting that she is no longer reminded every day of the abuse she endured.

Smith is now a motivational speaker who shares the story with others.

“Leave today because there might not be tomorrow,” she told viewers who may be suffering domestic abuse.

The Doctors airs at 2 p.m. weekdays on Little Rock’s NBC affiliate KARK-TV, Channel 4.

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