William Gao, MD, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained laryngologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown University Hospital. He specializes in diagnosing and treating problems that affect the three primary functions of the throat: voice, breathing (airway), and swallowing.

Dr. Gao employs unique in-office diagnostic techniques such as laryngeal videostroboscopy and bronchoscopy to ensure comprehensive evaluation of the voicebox and airway. Treatment is tailored to each person and may entail medical, procedural, or surgical approaches. Many procedures he performs can be done in the clinic using local anesthesia, avoiding the need for surgery under general anesthesia. Some of these awake in-office treatments include vocal fold injections, laser treatment of laryngeal lesions, biopsy of suspicious growths, and EMG-guided laryngeal Botox injections.

Dr. Gao’s expertise extends to surgery for voice restoration, laser surgery for removal of tumors of the voicebox, and reconstructive endoscopic/open airway surgery. He also works with a multidisciplinary team including voice therapists/speech language pathologists to provide the highest level of holistic care to patients with voice, airway, and swallowing problems.

Dr. Gao received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College after completing a six-year accelerated premedical/medical program in conjunction with Penn State University. He then joined Georgetown University for a five-year residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Subsequently, he completed a one-year subspecialty fellowship in laryngology and care of the professional voice at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He is an actively involved member of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) and the American Laryngological Association (ALA).