ADRIAN LEWIS has revealed that he has undergone surgery following a "painful health issue" which has kept him sidelined recently.
The two-time World Champion has recently withdrawn from World Series of Darts events in Shanghai and Las Vegas, the Players Championship double-header in Wigan and the European Tour events in Austria and Leverkusen for health reasons.
Lewis will also miss this weekend's ProTour weekend in Barnsley - which features the Dutch Darts Masters UK Qualifier and two Players Championships - after undergoing surgery on Friday.
However, the world number four is now setting his sights on returning to full health ahead of the forthcoming BetVictor World Matchplay
"I would just like to let everyone know the reason why I have been missing tournaments over the last few months is due to a painful health issue," said Lewis, in a statement released on Twitter
"I've had surgery today which has gone well. It's been a frustrating time for me and I'm relieved it is all over.
"I can now look forward to playing tournaments for the rest of the year now I'm pain free."
Lewis' wife Sarah is also due to give birth this summer, with the Stoke ace also missing the World Series treble-header in Auckland, Melbourne and Perth during August.
Adrian Lewis Statement
Statement: pic.twitter.com/LRMrl9Rf3B
— Adrian Lewis (@jackpot180) July 7, 2017