KARACHI: A 40-year-old man narrowly survived a potentially fatal knife injury to the neck after undergoing a successful life-saving surgery at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Karachi.
According to hospital sources, the patient was brought to the Emergency Department after being stabbed on the right side of the neck (Zone I) during a domestic dispute. The knife was deeply lodged and lay dangerously close to major blood vessels.
On arrival, the patient was conscious, stable, and fully oriented (GCS 15/15). His pulses were intact, and there was no loss of sensation or movement in the upper limbs. The patient was managed according to Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines, following which the surgical team decided to perform an emergency exploration.
The operation was led by Dr. Muhammad Shoaib (Thoracic Surgeon), assisted by Dr. Farasat (ENT) and Dr. Kerio. Anesthesia was administered by Dr. Suparna and Dr. Kareeta, while Staff Nurse Aneela, Akhtiar Ahmed Solangi, and the Emergency Operation Theatre team provided vital intraoperative support.
During the surgery, the team carefully dissected the area around the embedded knife under general anesthesia. The external jugular vein was found avulsed, and several small vessels were injured. Remarkably, the internal jugular vein and internal carotid artery were found intact—although the knife’s blade was only millimeters away. The tip had even reached the opposite side of the neck, pressing against the skin.
The surgical team successfully removed the knife under direct vision, controlled the bleeding, and meticulously closed the wound in layers. The patient remained stable throughout the operation and recovered without any neurological or vascular complications.
Doctors credited the successful outcome to prompt teamwork in the Emergency Operation Theatre and adherence to trauma management protocols. “It was an extremely high-risk case where the knife was just a few millimeters away from major neck vessels—a slight shift could have meant the difference between life and death,” a team member said.
Hospital administration and the Emergency Operation Theatre staff expressed gratitude to Dr. Muhammad Shoaib and the entire surgical and support team for their professionalism and dedication in saving the patient’s life.
