Action movie star Jet Li, who was in the news recently after going for surgery, has shared details on his condition and the operation for the first time.

The actor looked relaxed in a video first uploaded on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu on Aug 29. It was also uploaded on Weibo on Aug 31.

Li, who turned 62 on April 26, said he noticed a lump on the right side of his neck while looking in the mirror on his birthday.

"I touched it and it was a little hard," he said in the video. "I went to see an ear, nose and throat specialist, who said it might be a tooth swelling, with gum inflammation affecting the lymph nodes."

The China-born Singaporean actor said he took anti-inflammatory medication for a week with no improvement in his condition.

At the doctor's recommendation, Li separately underwent an ultrasound, computed tomography scan and needle biopsy. The results indicated that he had a benign tumour, but there were some areas in the tumour which were unclear.

"I was not very busy in August, so I consulted the doctor again, who said that to be on the safe side, it should still be removed for a biopsy to get a clearer picture," Li said. "I went for the surgery, and the doctor said after the biopsy that it was 100% benign."

The actor, famous for films such as the Once Upon A Time In China series (1991 to 1997), described his condition as a "hardware issue".

"If there's a problem, you fix it. If you have to remove it, then do so and it will be fine," he said. "If the tumour had not been benign, I would have faced it too. Even if there's a one-in-10,000 or one-in-100,000 chance of dying on the operating table, I would face it too."

Li said in another video uploaded on Sept 1 that he consulted his wife Nina Li Chi, 63, before the surgery. The former actress said she would support whatever decision he made.

They have been married since 1999 and have two daughters - Jane, 25, and Jada, 22.

Jet Li said Jada was present during the conversation. Initially, he did not want to tell his other family members about his surgery as he did not want to worry them.

"Jada said I have to tell her elder sister, as they have the right to know," Li said. "She said they have the right, too, to be concerned (about me) and I could not deprive them of that right."

Li also has two older daughters - Li Si, 37, and Li Taimi, 36 - from an earlier marriage to former actress Huang Qiuyan, 64.

He said he told his two older daughters about his surgery after the operation, and they said he should have told them about it earlier.

He also revealed why he chose to disclose his surgery on social media, when he could have chosen to stay silent.

Saying that life is unpredictable, Jet Li wanted to share the experience to let other people know they can face such situations calmly.

"Some people asked about me with a positive attitude, some had doubts, while some said I deserved it," he said. "I can understand all these attitudes. Let's share our thoughts and confront the discussions on life and death." - The Straits Times/Asia News Network