A veterinarian in Australia performed micro-surgery on a goldfish, removing a tumor that might have ended the fish's life. The goldfish, George, was unable to eat or swim with the tumor, and the veterinarian gave the owner the option to remove the tumor or put George to sleep. She chose to have the tumor removed.

The procedure involved putting the fish under general anesthetic. To accomplish this, George was placed in a water bucket heavily laced with the drug until he fell asleep. He was then placed in a second bucket laced with enough anesthetic to keep him asleep during the surgery. With the procedure complete, he was placed in a third bucket with oxygenized water.

George has fully recovered from the surgery. According to his veterinarian, he could live for another 20 years.