Step inside Dr. Ben Stone’s home and you’ll find more than a surgeon’s precision at work. Tucked within the space is a developing music studio, designed for sound, creativity, and quiet retreat. It reflects a life built with purpose, where medicine, family, and creativity all have a place.
Dr. Stone, a surgeon at KU Medical Center, has never wanted to be defined by a single title. While his work in complex abdominal wall reconstruction demands focus and discipline, he sees identity through a different lens.
“A lot of life can be defined by what you do and not who you are,” he says. “The titles that matter most to me are father, husband, and friend. And how I show up in those roles.”
That perspective was shaped early. During medical school, he considered emergency medicine, weighing the demands of surgery against the life he envisioned with his wife Jessica, whom he met there. Then came a pivotal moment.
A gunshot victim arrived in critical condition, and Dr. Stone watched a trauma team step in. “You see someone in dire need and watch people with varying degrees of experience come together to give that person a second chance,” he recalls. “That was the moment. I knew I wanted to be part of that.”
Surgical training was intense and the long days and high stakes came with a cost, often leaving a longing for other parts of his life to grow. Over time, that realization shaped how Dr. Stone approached both his career and his life outside of it.
Creativity became an essential counterbalance. Raised by a mother with a background in journalism and a father who taught science and served as a pastor, curiosity was a constant in his childhood. It now shows up in a range of ways.
In his home studio, Dr. Stone plays bass, piano, guitar, and drums. Music has long been part of his life, from his father’s gospel group to his own involvement in Kansas City’s creative community. The studio itself is a work in progress, blending sound design with hands-on experimentation.
“It’s an outlet,” he says. “A space where you can step away, recharge, and come back refreshed.”
That balance matters. Medicine carries weight, and Dr. Stone is candid about the importance of stepping outside of it. Engaging different parts of the brain, he believes, helps maintain perspective and resilience.
“Being purposeful about how you live matters,” he says. “When you give yourself space to reset, you can show up better in every area.”
At the center of it all is family. Dr. Stone and his wife are raising four children, including their oldest daughter, whom they adopted from Ethiopia. Each child’s arrival brought its own story, shaping his understanding of responsibility and presence.
“The first moment you hold your child changes everything,” he says. “It shifts your mindset. It’s not about you anymore. They’re counting on you.”
Fatherhood reshaped how Dr. Stone thinks about success. Earlier in life, it may have been tied to career milestones. Today, it centers on something more personal and lasting.
“What success looks like has changed at different phases,” he says. “Fatherhood has shaped that in a lot of ways. Putting yourself in a place where you have options is a measure of success, and being able to have a meaningful say in how you spend your time. You can’t get time back. If you have a say in what and how and when you do it, that is the best measure of success.”
That perspective carries into his community involvement. Dr. Stone has taken on leadership roles with organizations like the American College of Surgeons, the Kansas Medical Society, and the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Whether shaping healthcare policy or supporting the arts, his focus is on contributing in ways that reflect what matters most to him.
“Start with the right why,” he says. “Be involved in things that are meaningful.”
On weekends, you might find him at home with his family, cooking a big breakfast, working on a project, or planning his next creative endeavor. A Japanese garden is currently in the works, inspired by a sense of calm and thoughtful design.
If you asked his children to describe him, Dr. Stone hopes they would say, “That I’m thoughtful, that I treat people with kindness, and that I’m there for them,” he says. “And maybe that I’m a little goofy, too.”
In a culture that often equates success with constant momentum, Dr. Stone’s perspective offers something worth holding onto. The ability to choose how you spend your time, invest in relationships, and create space for what matters most is built through small, deliberate choices. His story is a reminder that how we define success shapes the life we experience, and that definition is always ours to refine.