Little is known of the life of Isaac William Ball. Having qualified at Manchester in 1937 he served during the second world war as a Surgeon Lieutenant-Commander in the RNVR. He held posts at the Christie Cancer Hospital, Manchester, and the Manchester Royal Infirmary and was a demonstrator in anatomy at Manchester University. He became consultant surgeon to the Manchester Hospital Group and was a Fellow of the Manchester Medical Society and President of their Section of Surgery. He was an associate member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons. He retired sometime in 1981 and died on 9 June 1987.