The department of Thoracic Surgery was started in 1956 with Dr. B. Sundara Rama Murthy as the First Professor. The department rapidly grew and the Open Heart Surgery Unit was recently inaugurated on the Second Floor of the Cardiology Block. The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant had donated two crores of  rupees for the purchase of equipment of open heart surgery. With the donations of coastal heart foundation and matching contribution by Government of Andhra Pradesh, twin operation theatres, ICU and ward complex were constructed on modern pattern. The required medical, nursing and para medical staff were sanctioned and were trained in open heart surgery. Now all type of cardiac vascular and thoracic surgeries are being done here.