This couple just paid for their goldfish to undergo major surgery.

You have never loved a goldfish as much as this Melbourne couple love their goldfish.

George, 10, had recently developed a major tumour on his head which, without intervention, would almost certainly mean a trip to toilet heaven.

But, determined to keep their beloved George alive, Lyn Orton and Pip Joyce found a highly qualified veterinary surgeon who was willing to perform the delicate procedure needed to remove the deadly growth. Take a look:

The whole procedure took 45 minutes and cost a measly 200 bucks.

WORTH IT.

Dr. Tristan Rich of the Lort Smith Animal Hospital is the hero who performed the surgery – the fascinating details of which they revealed on their Facebook page:

Dr Tristan Rich, head of Lort Smith’s exotic and wildlife vet team, set up three buckets – one with a knock out dose of anaesthetic, one with a maintenance level of anaesthetic, and one with clean water as the recovery unit.

Once George was asleep, Dr Tristan ran a tube from the maintenance bucket which was being oxygenated, into George’s mouth, so that the water with the maintenance dose of anaesthetic washed over his gills.

Dr Tristan worked quickly to remove the large tumour, although the size of it meant that he had to use a gelatine sponge to control the bleeding during surgery. The size of the wound meant it was difficult to seal, so Dr Tristan put in four sutures then sealed the rest of the wound with tissue glue.

Once that had set, George was placed in the recovery unit and given oxygen. He was given injections with long acting pain relief and antibiotics. Soon afterwards he took a couple of breaths on his own and started swimming around.

Oh, George. SURVIVOR.

Like Mamamia Rogue on Facebook

Rogue is Mamamia’s space for fun, viral and random content, with everything from feminism to pop culture. We scour the internet so you don’t have to, and bring all the best bits back.