10-year-old goldfish survives surgery to remove tumor

George the goldfish is doing swimmingly after having a tumor removed from his head last week.

The family of the 10-year-old goldfish noticed the growth, and took George into the Lort Smith Animal Hospital in Melbourne. Dr. Tristan Rich oversaw George's operation — the first step was placing the goldfish into a bucket of water laced with anesthetic, which put him under. As soon as he was out, Rich put a tube into George's mouth to wash more anesthetic water over his gills. The tumor was then quickly removed, and George received four stitches to the head.

George was given painkillers, and then sent to the "recovery room," a.k.a. a bucket of regular water. He quickly got back to swimming, and then was able to go home with his family. It cost just $300 to save George's life, and the animal hospital says while it may seem like an unusual surgery, it's not the first of its kind.

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