The foundation for the Cardiothoracic department was laid in 1995, with collaboration of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, and the completed building was handed over in 1997. The first heart surgery done in the department was a closed mitral valvotomy performed by Dr. M. Sridhar on 31/08/1998. The initiation of coronary artery bypass surgeries began in 2003 under the guidance of Dr. Naresh Kumar, of Apollo Hospitals.

The department offers a full range of surgical services and the current faculty remains active academically and involved in research publications.

It hosts an annual CME event called the “Dr. C. S. Sadasivan memorial lecture” since 2017