An animal lover from Norfolk splashed hundreds of pounds on an operation to save his bunged-up goldfish.
The man took the pet, which he keeps in a tank in his office, to Toll Barn Veterinary Centre after noticing it was suffering from digestive distress, EDP 24 reported.
He apparently originally declined the operation when told it would cost £300, but quickly changed his mind.
Vet Faye Bethell used anaesthetic water to knock the goldfish unconscious before clearing blockages with the intricate procedure.
"He was constipated because he had a lump blocking his bottom, rather than because of his diet or any other reason," she told the BBC.
The lucky pet, which is a member of the carp family, survived the 50-minute operation before going home with his owner. Bethell used a small heart rate monitor to ensure the fish was sufficiently drugged before using a mini-scalpel to remove several blockages near the anus and dorsal fin.
Faye Bethell, of Toll Barn Veterinary Centre
"I have never done a procedure like that on a goldfish, although I have done it before on more valuable fish like a carp," the vet added. The actual surgery is quite straightforward but administering the anaesthetic is quite complicated."
Bethell has performed a string of odd operations recently, including removed a stone from the 5mm ureter of a guinea pig and castrating a skunk.