Matthew L. Williams, MD

Matthew Williams, MD, is a cardiac surgeon who serves as the surgical director of the Yale Medicine Structural Heart Disease Program, which cares for patients with valvular heart disease.

Dr. Williams subspecializes in valve disease and is an expert in both surgical treatment of valvular disease as well as transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVR), a minimally invasive procedure to replace failed valves; Yale Medicine has one of the highest-volume TAVR services in the country. Once reserved for patients who were very frail, had severe calcification in the aorta, or have had previous heart surgery, studies have shown it’s an option for a growing number of patients who don’t necessarily fall into those categories.

TAVR is also a unique area of cardiac care in that cardiologists and cardiac surgeons work together to provide patients with the best possible outcomes, Dr. Williams says.

Dr. Williams became a doctor because he wanted to help people, and he had always been fascinated by the heart. As a cardiac surgeon, he offers his patients the best individualized options for their particular situation. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” he says, and personalized care can make a difference. “The most serious valve disease leads to illness and death, but with the proper treatment you can often get people back to normal.”