The Department of Surgery was one of the early departments established in the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to provide surgery and consultancy services. It also offers training and conduct research.

The department occupies the main six-storey Surgery Block. The National Cardiothoracic Centre, National Reconstructive Plastics Surgery and Burns Centre,  Trauma & Orthopaedics Centre and New Allied Surgery Sub-BMC are all subsumed under Surgery.

As part of its decentralization policy, the Korle Bu Hospital administration has created the following Sub-BMCs in the department: Surgical, Allied Surgery, Orthopaedics & Accident centre, Plastic surgery and Cardiothoracic. Each Sub-BMC is managed by a team that comprises Head of Sub-BMC, Administrator, Accountant, Pharmacist, Deputy Director of Nursing, and an Engineer.

The Korle Bu administration liaises closely with the University of Ghana Medical School in the administration of the Department, especially with regard to training and examination of medical students and postgraduate training.

The first Head of the Department was Professor Charles Easmon. Since then, the Department has had many illustrious heads and has expanded into the following units:
1.General Surgery (Breast, HPB, Colorectal, Hernia, Vascular)
2.Plastic Surgery
3.Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery
4. Urology
5. Neurosurgery
6. Cardiothoracic surgery
7. Paediatric surgery
8. Ophthalmology
9. Ear, Nose and Throat surgery
10. Dental surgery

Many of the divisions are currently making efforts at further sub-specialisation /sub-units.