Stacey A. Bass, MD, PhD

Stacey Bass, MD, PhD, is a vascular and interventional radiologist who treats children and adults.

“An interventional radiologist is someone who can interpret imaging studies and use different modalities in order to diagnose and/or treat disease processes using minimally invasive techniques,” Dr. Bass explains. “This includes simple procedures such as ultrasound guided biopsy to diagnose a mass. We also perform complex therapeutic procedures, for example treating traumatic bleeding without the need for surgery or even treating and potentially curing cancers.”

Dr. Bass serves as co-director of interventional radiology at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital and has expertise in treating vascular anomalies.

“These are most commonly diagnosed in childhood due to pain or disfigurement,” says Dr. Bass of vascular anomalies, which are benign disorders in the veins or arteries. “If you think of your blood vessels as streets that run straight, in a vascular anomaly, something goes wrong in their development and the vessels get tangled and can form painful, disfiguring lumps.”

Such anomalies are not always painful, but some can be, and they can affect a child’s quality of life in numerous ways. “We can diagnose it early and treat it in a minimally invasive fashion that might take just a few sessions to shrink it and offer pain relief,” Dr. Bass says.

She was drawn to interventional radiology because of how it combines her interests in technology, radiology and using her hands. “In interventional radiology, we have some of the most advanced tools that allow us access to the body without the need for open surgery. The technology available here at Yale allows for innovative, minimally invasive therapies for patients,” she says.

Dr. Bass also takes care of adults and has a particular interest in women’s health, including treating fibroids and offering interventions for pelvic pain. The best part of her job, she says, is working with patients.

“It’s incredibly satisfying and I wouldn’t give it up for anything,” she says. “Plus, as an interventional radiologist, I am a consultant for other specialties who need our unique skill set; we are kind of like a doctor for doctors. Interventionalists must have a knowledge of all organ systems, which provides variety and a never-ending learning challenge.”

Her research interests include finding better therapies for vascular anomalies.