For Ben, heart surgery is more than just a medical procedure—it’s been a defining part of his life.

Born with a congenital heart defect, he underwent his first surgery, an arterial switch procedure, at just two weeks old. Years later, he faced another critical procedure on his aortic valve at Duke University Hospital at 19.

“I’ve always been a heart kid,” he says. “I have two heart anniversaries and grew up with other kids who had heart surgery and experienced congenital heart defects.”

These experiences not only shaped Ben's personal journey, but also sparked a passion for helping others. This calling to care is what led him to pursue training as a perfusionist and his first healthcare role saving the lives of other heart patients in the same hospital that gave him a new lease on life in 2016.

"Having surgery here had a huge impact on my decision to work at Duke Health," Ben said. "I already had a connection to the hospital, and I understood the experience from the patient's side. That perspective made it feel like the right place for me to work."

Perfusionists are critical members of the surgical team, responsible for operating the heart-lung bypass machine during heart surgery. Ben relates the task of setting up and operating the heart-lung bypass machine to piloting a plane.

"It's like taking off and landing," Ben explains. "Going on bypass and coming off are the most critical parts. When everything goes smoothly, it feels amazing."

Although perfusionists don’t interact directly with patients during surgery, Ben feels his first-hand experience as a heart patient informs his work.

"I think it makes me more mindful of the emotional and physical recovery that patients undergo," he says. "The entire process can be overwhelming, and I try to approach each case with that in mind because I know exactly what patients were going through. I can empathize with them—not just as a medical professional, but as someone who had been through it myself."

Since he joined Duke Health in 2023, Ben is not just fulfilling his role on the surgical team—he’s also contributing to Duke Health’s cutting-edge advancements in cardiac care. A focus he calls one of the highlights of his career.

"Duke is always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible," Ben says. "We've been involved in some incredible innovations, from new LVADs to heart transplants and even a trial with total artificial hearts. It’s amazing to be on the front lines of such groundbreaking work."

His commitment to helping others doesn’t stop at the operating room. At the start of the new year, Ben joined Duke's Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) transport team, which involves on-call duties beyond his normal work to assist with the transport of patients to Duke Health for specialized care.

"It’s another way to make a difference,” he says. “Knowing that what we do has a real impact on people’s lives is incredibly fulfilling. Being able to give back after having gone through this journey myself means the world to me."

Ben smiles with photos of himself from two heart surgeries.

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