The star of friends, Matthew Perry, spent three months in the hospital after undergoing surgery

Matthew Perry remained secretly in the hospital for three months after undergoing surgery to repair a gastrointestinal perforation.

The 48-year-old Friends star told his 1,180,000 Twitter followers that he had spent the last three months in a hospital bed in an ironic tweet.

"Three months in a hospital bed. Check, he writes on Twitter.

Gastrointestinal perforation, also known as intestinal fracture, can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract wall. This includes the esophagus, stomach, small bowel and large intestine.

Symptoms of an intestinal rupture include severe abdominal pain and sometimes require emergency surgery. Possible causes may include trauma caused by a knife wound or the consumption of a sharp object. This can lead to sepsis and can be fatal.

The revelation that Matthew spent three months in the hospital comes after one representative confirmed that he had been taken to a Los Angeles-based hospital for the procedure in August.

"He is grateful for the concern and demands respect for privacy while he is recovering," the statement said.

The actor is a staunch advocate for addiction after battling alcohol addiction and several prescription drugs during his stay at Friends.

In 1997, he attended a 28-day drug abuse program at Vicodin and later told Larry King that he had taken the painkiller "especially not to drink as much as me".

In 2001, the actor went into rehab to recover from his consumption of Vicodin, Methadone, Amphetamines and Alcohol.

Matthew was recognized as one of six friends of the classic 90s sitcom with Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer.

Earlier this year, he sold his home in the Hollywood Hills for $ 12.5 million after buying a $ 20 million luxury apartment last year in Century City.