The Department of Hand Surgery is the Superspeciality offshoot of the Unit of Hand and Microsurgery. The unit of Hand surgery came into existence in 1992 as a separate subspecialty in the Department of Orthopaedics under the leadership of Prof. Bhaskarananda Kumar. Professor Varghese Chacko established the Department of Orthopaedics in 1967. 

Prof. Bhaskarananda Kumar headed the unit of Hand and Microsurgery till his retirement in April' 2013. During his tenure, he developed the unit and created an able and effective team that had made significant contributions in Hand Surgery, and the unit earned laurels in the country and abroad. He went on to become the president of the Indian Society for Surgery of the Hand in 2004. 

The unit was taken over by Prof. Anil K Bhat in 2013, who continues the legacy and vision of senior teachers. Since April 2021, the unit has been elevated to a new Superspeciality department of Hand Surgery headed by Dr Anil K. Bhat, assisted by Dr Ashwath Acharya and Dr Mithun Pai, who are fellowship-trained Hand Surgeons.