Friends sitcom star Matthew Perry undergoes critical surgery

Matthew Perry, 48, was hospitalised due to a severe case of gastrointestinal perforation and had to undergo emergency surgery to solve the issue in Los Angeles on Tuesday, August 7.

The Canadian-American actor is now in recovery after the surgery. According to Lisa Kasteler, publicist, Perry said that he is grateful for the concerns but has asked for continued privacy till his recovery. "He's better than recovering, he's perfectly fine. This was no big deal," said Kasteler. No other details of the stay were given.

Gastrointestinal Perforation (GP) occurs when a hole forms all the way through the stomach, large bowel, or small intestine. The gastrointestinal tract starts from the throat and ends at the rectum. The cause for the hole to form can be due to multiple reasons including appendicitis, and diverticulitis, or stomach ulcers. The reason for Perry's condition is still unknown but the only way to treat a perforation is by conducting an emergency surgery.

Perry, famously known for his character Chandler Bing on Friends, has not always been in the best of shapes. After his jet-ski accident in 1997, he got addicted to painkillers and then became an alcoholic. Since then, he has had issues with drugging and dealing with weight fluctuations.

The actor's career has not been flourishing since Friends when compared to his peers. In one of his interviews, he said he had no recollection of three seasons of the sitcom (between seasons three to six) because of his drug problems.

However, Perry has sobered up in the past years in multiple rehabs and also opened a sober-living facility at his Malibu Mansion to help others who have been struggling to overcome addiction.