YS Jagan attack: Doctors shocked

The murder attempt on Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly and YSR Congress party president, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's life at Visakhapatnam airport on Thursday, has left doctors shocked.

Medical experts say that because the knife pierced YS Jagan's left shoulder, he  could avoid a grievious life-threatening injury.

Doctors say that arteries running through the neck region are critical and delicate ones. If a cut is inflicted with a sharp instrument on these lifelines of the circulatory system, it could have a serious impact on other vital organs in the body, they said. The attack was aimed at a place which could inflict a life-threatening injury, doctors say.

The neck has lifelines of the ciculatory system such as the jugular vein, carotid and vertebral arteries running through it. Moreover, this critical area in the body has a cluster of spinal nerves, laryngeal nerve, the trachea, oesophagus and thyroid, among others, all of which are 2-3 cm deep.

It becomes clear that the attacker, Srinivasa Rao, lunged at YS Jagan aiming at his carotid artery. There are two of these, one on either side of the human body, which get split in the neck region, with one providing blood supply to the brain and the other to the face.

If the blood supply to the brain is cut off even for a few seconds, one could go into a coma and if it is not restored in two minutes, it could prove fatal. Restricted blood supply to the brain could also lead to a stroke or even loss of vision, sense of touch or even memory. It is this region that the attacker, Srinivasa Rao seems to have targetted.

Among the key cranial nerves running through the area, is the vagus nerve, which goes into the stomach region. It is connected to digestion, heart, lungs, and the ability to speak, among other things.

All these facts go to prove that the murderous attack on the life of the Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh assembly was clearly aimed at this critical area of the neck region.