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 medical 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.
