Professor Mark O'Donnell

Professor Mark O'Donnell, consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon in Belfast

Professor Mark O'Donnell is a consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon practising across Northern Ireland. His clinical work centres on the minimally invasive treatment of varicose veins, alongside the assessment of arterial disease affecting the carotid arteries, abdominal aorta and peripheral arteries, diabetic vascular complications and lymphoedema. He holds a substantive academic appointment at Ulster University and has moved from an NHS consultant post into independent-sector practice.

Varicose vein treatment

The treatment of varicose veins is the mainstay of the practice. Professor O'Donnell offers radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive endovenous catheter technique performed under local anaesthetic, as well as open operative surgery for varicose veins and sclerotherapy for both symptomatic and cosmetic veins. The practice states that it uses the latest minimally invasive techniques and that patients are treated with a view to healthier, more comfortable and better-looking legs. Post-operative information leaflets for varicose vein surgery have also been developed.

Arterial and lymphatic assessment

Professor O'Donnell assesses patients with narrowing of the carotid arteries, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral arterial blockage, diabetic vascular complications producing complex circulatory problems and vascular entrapment disorders. He also assesses lymphoedema. The practice notes that, since his transition from the NHS to private practice, he no longer performs arterial surgery, because arterial vascular procedures are not carried out in any independent healthcare facility in Northern Ireland; the arterial service is therefore limited to assessment.

Training and academic activity

Professor O'Donnell studied medicine at Queen's University of Belfast between 1994 and 1999, graduating with distinction and receiving the Northern Ireland Medico-Legal Prize for first place in Forensic Medicine. He completed surgical training as a Specialist Registrar on the Northern Ireland Surgical Training Rotation between 2006 and 2015, and holds a Masters in Medical Science and a Medical Doctorate. His research record includes more than 100 publications in PubMed-indexed peer-reviewed journals and over 250 international and national presentations. Between 2012 and 2014 he completed a Vascular Surgery Fellowship and was appointed Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. He passed the FRCS Exit Examination at the first attempt in 2012 and, according to the practice, remains the only vascular surgeon in Ireland to have received the UEMS Vascular Surgery Gold Medal for First Place Honours in the European Board of Vascular Surgery Examination in 2015. He is a regular surgical tutor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and teaches at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Ulster University.

Recognition and patient feedback

The practice lists several distinctions, including the UK Doctify Healthcare Professional (Medical) Patient Choice Award 2023, the SME News Endovascular Surgeon of the Year 2024 (Belfast), the GHP Patient Care Excellence Award 2025 and the GHP Surgery Clinic of the Year 2025 (NI). It also records nominations for Excellence in Patient Care and Surgical Clinic of the Year at the 2025 Private Healthcare Excellence Awards, a win as Best Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon at the 3rd Northern Irish Enterprise Awards 2025, and a 1000th verified patient review on Doctify in April 2025. Professor O'Donnell describes his approach as informal and relaxed and identifies patient safety and the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme as central to his practice.

Private practice locations

Consultations and procedures take place at several independent-sector facilities. In Belfast, Professor O'Donnell works at Kingsbridge Private Hospital Belfast on the Lisburn Road and at the Ulster Independent Clinic on Stranmillis Road. Elsewhere in Northern Ireland he attends Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West in Ballykelly, Kingsbridge Private Clinic Newry on Windsor Avenue and, according to the practice, the Orthoderm clinic in Hillsborough is coming soon. Appointments are booked directly with each clinic.