Doctors save man with knife lodged in neck

KARACHI:

A team of doctors at the JPMC has performed a rare and delicate surgery, removing a knife lodged deep in a patient's neck, narrowly saving his life.

According to hospital officials, Abdul Rehman, 40, a resident of Abdullah Goth, was brought to JPMC on Monday morning after being stabbed in the lower neck by his stepson during a domestic dispute. X-rays revealed that the knife had penetrated so deeply that its tip was visible beneath the skin on the opposite side of the neck.

A team, led by Dr Muhammad Shoaib, thoracic surgeon at JPMC, assisted by Dr Firast and other medical specialists, conducted the high-risk operation, which lasted two hours. Dr Shoaib said the knife had passed through Zone I of the neck, dangerously close to the carotid artery and internal jugular vein - both of which remained miraculously intact.

"The case was extremely delicate and life-threatening. A shift of just a few millimeters could have caused fatal bleeding," he added.

Under general anesthesia, surgeons carefully dissected the surrounding tissues to avoid damaging major vessels. During the procedure, the team discovered that the external jugular vein had been completely torn, and several smaller veins were also injured. The knife was eventually removed under direct supervision, and the wound was successfully closed. "By Allah's grace, the patient is now conscious, stable, and has no nerve or blood flow complications," Dr Shoaib added.