The department of Plastic Surgery was formally started in 1980, under the guidance of Dr. A. D. Dias and Dr. R. L. Thatte. Dr. Dias was the first Head of Department, followed by Dr. Thatte. Dr. Thatte continued his tenure till June 1998, when Dr. Mukund Jagannathan took over as the Head, a position which he continues to occupy.

Drs Dias and Thatte were instrumental in putting the Department on the world map, with several innovations and scientific papers. The Department caters to a large number of patients and is very busy, both clinically and academically. Every single subspecialty of Plastic Surgery is catered to, whether it is aesthetic, craniofacial, microsurgery or clefts. No patient is sent away.

The Department has established a huge database of educational videos and other clinical material, which is available for viewing in the Department, for other Plastic Surgery colleagues. The Department has also conducted top quality workshops on a regular basis, for continuing medical education. Based on the academic and clinical work, the Department continues to be recognized as a leading teaching department in the country.

In recent years, there has been a major effort for performing aesthetic (cosmetic) surgery, in keeping with the times, as well as for the training of residents. The department routinely performs a large number of such procedures every year, with acceptable results. It is now proposed to start a separate day for operating aesthetic surgery patients, so as not to load the regular operating list.

Gender reassignment surgeries have also been performed on a regular basis.The department is very patient friendly and there is a very high level of patient satisfaction, which is the central theme around which all activities revolve. Active discussion is encouraged irrespective of seniority.

Needless to say, the course is recognized by the Medical Council of India for the degree of M. Ch in Plastic Surgery.