Brendan O’Brien graduated with Honours from the University of Queensland Medical School in 1984. He then pursued his residency at Princess Alexander Hospital in Brisbane, Queensland. Prior to commencing surgical training, he worked in Family General Practice and obtained the fellowship (FRACGP) in 1993. He proceeded to specialist training in Neurosurgery in 1994. This was in units in Melbourne, Hobart and Brisbane with graduation in 2000.

Commencing work as a Consultant Neurosurgeon at St Vincent’s Hospital in February 2000, he has pursued or specialised in cranial and skull based tumour resection, complex spinal surgery, management of cranial/spinal trauma and cerebrovascular aneurysm clipping/management. With additional interests in pituitary and peripheral nerve surgery.

He has travelled extensively to both the United States and Europe over 2000-2005 to pursue post-graduate training in complex reconstructive spinal surgery. He is a strong advocate of artificial disc replacement in the spinal region. This has successfully been offered to appropriate patients since late 2003. He now has extensive experience in disc replacement treatments along with other reconstructive spinal therapies for degenerative, traumatic or neoplastic spinal conditions.

He works as a Consultant Neurosurgeon at St. Vincent’s Public/Private Hospitals in Melbourne whilst also having an appointment at the Alfred Hospital as a Consultant Neurosurgeon. He consults in rooms at Ballarat to the local and regional area on a regular basis.

Brendan is actively involved in under and post graduate training and is a senior lecturer in Surgery at the Monash University Department of Surgery and the University of Melbourne. He is an examiner for undergraduate medical students through the University of Melbourne and is Surgical Superviser of Training (Neurosurgery) at St Vincent’s Hospital.