Dr. Craig Howard Zalvan, MD

A true caring healer. Treats the whole patient. I’m very pleased with his recommendations.

I first met with Dr. Zalvan four years ago (age 56) after suffering a major stroke that had left me with substantial swallowing and speech difficulties. (I literally couldn’t swallow anything--not even my own saliva--and my voice was barely a whisper due to a paralyzed vocal cord.) At the time, I feared I’d never be able to eat or drink with family and friends again, interact socially like a normal person, or return to work. Dr. Zalvan told me how he proposed to address the issues--he’d take a conservative approach that combined therapy with in-office procedures and/or surgical intervention, as necessary--and executed the plan over the following months. Throughout, he was clear, concise, and responsive to questions and concerns from me and my wife. Progress was steady and the results remarkable. I can eat and drink essentially anything I want, my speaking voice is quite functional, and I was able to return to work. Life-changing stuff, and Dr. Zalvan made it happen. Bottom line, I’d recommend him highly to anyone facing such difficulties or anything pertaining to his areas of expertise, and I’d strongly suggest seeking him out early in your recovery. I shudder to think where I’d be without him. He’s terrific and was, for me, a godsend.

i was referred to Dr. Craig Zalvan due to a very troublesome pill swallowing experience. In a nutshell my trauma occurred on May 4th 2020 and led me to 2 ER visits, numerous X rays, CT scan and a Lung Pet scan; 2 nights in ICU at NY Presby Hudson Valley. It all began with my choking on a pill. My journey led me to Dr Zalvan in an effort to find out just why the swallowing difficulty occurred. He introduced me to one heck of a highly qualified team of professionals! He performed a Esophagoscopy on me then handed me off to his Phelps Hospital team of a) swallowing specialists (Kristie Vitulli MS, CCC-SLP) b) back to his offices for further definitive testing and c) finally a comprehensive sit down to discuss all the pertinent findings, I have to admit that I never expected to be treated to such a complete array of diagnostic tools! His offices and related personnel at 358 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow NY were the most courteous and professional individuals I have ever had the pleasure to medically interact with. Glad to report that I am well on the way to complete recovery and have Dr Zalvan and his incredible team to thank!! Sincere thanks Nick Tolla (patient)

Dr Zalvan is the best ENT Doctor I have ever been to( and I’m 63. From the first meeting with Dr Zalvan, one can see that he is that rare breed of Doctor that really cares about hls patients. He is calm( I was quite anxious and he was so calming and patient., Friendly, Brilliant and most importantly, knows his stuff and is an excellent diagnostician. His assistant, as well as the front desk people, are all top notch.

I have used my voice professionally for over 35 years. Recently I started feeling a weakness in my voice - no low or high tones and a definite gravelly sound. I saw him and he discovered a fungus on my vocal cords. He prescribed medication and vocal “physical therapy”. After 2 1/2 weeks I am again confident in my voice and it sounds”normal” to me. I would highly recommend Dr. Zalvan for anyone with similar issues. His office staff was courteous and caring and in this time of the coronavirus I felt safely protected due to their efforts in the office. Highly recommend.

Due to a worsening swallowing disorder I could not eat almost any solid food for the past year. After much teating and assessing in consultation with me, on Oct.24,'19 Dr. Zalvan performed a dilation with botox injection procdure on my throat. Because of his excellent diagnostic and surgical skills I can now eat many"normal" food after just one weeks time. Thank you to Dr. Zalvan.

From the time you enter Dr. Zalvan’s practice, you are made to feel special. He is pleasant, engaging and has a beautiful bedside manner. Above all, he takes the time to listen to you and “figure out what is happening and WHY!” Dr. Zalvan is someone who problem solves which is a lost art and he takes the time to put the puzzle pieces together to figure out why your body has symptoms like reflux, throat issues or sinus conditions. The patient is always first when you see Dr. Zalvan and he makes you aware of how even poor daily habits can affect and cause symptoms of reflux or even a hoarse voice. I am so happy I found Dr. Zalvan’s and recommend you see him if you need a Laryngologist.

I sought out Dr. Zalvan after seeing many doctors for a myriad of medical issues, some of which affected my throat with a chronic cough, swallow problems, and reflux. I also read some of the negative reviews and cannot believe what some people write. I had the same testing for reflux that did show LPR - reflux and Dr. Zalvan suggested I follow a mostly plant based Mediterranean style diet and drink alkaline water, suggestions that he actually studied and published in JAMA!!! My reflux and throat problems completely cleared up and even more important, so did my diabetes and blood pressure. My cough did get a little better but continued. He said it was a nerve cough likely caused by a virus and because conservative measures didn't stop the cough he suggested I try amitriptyline - I guess one of those powerful drugs the other person complained about. After a week of taking the medication and slowly increasing the dose, my cough of 6 years completely stopped. I wish all of my doctors tried to think out of the box like Dr. Zalvan. He is terrific, kind, patient and explained everything clearly and with provided materials to read.

After some 24 hour shotty reflux testing his advice is to become a vegetarian. If that doesn't work to relieve your chronic sore throat, he refers you to pain management and powerful drugs are prescribed. Steer clear- his treatment protocol is ridiculous!

I have had an ongoing cough problem for 7 years and have seen multiple doctors with multiple tests done. Nobody has helped. Dr. Zalvan spent a lot of time listening to my problem and explained that although I was diagnosed with asthma, my cough was not from asthma. He took a different approach using topical nasal sprays and a diet based approach to treating throat reflux and it really helped but did not stop the cough. At my last visit he tried a medication to stop the nerve irritation and I have completely stopped coughing!!!! Thank you!!! In addition, because of the Mediterranean diet, I have lost 15 pounds, no longer take medication for my diabetes or high blood pressure.

Dr. Zalvan has been taking care of me for about six years. When I first went to him, I was fainting and unable to do much of anything. He examined me and put me on Lyrica and other meds and I quickly stopped fainting. I had been to five other doctors who told me they had no idea what was wrong with me. Thank God for Dr. Zalvan. Years ago I had cancer of the vocal cord. Dr. Zalvan has monitored that and removed some other Growths around the vocal cord and has taken great care of me. Dr. Zalvan has been a true gift to me. God Bless Him. John J. Lane, Rye, NY 10580

I've been to many doctors for burning in my throat. I had a visit with Dr. Zalvan a few weeks ago in the 19 Bradhurst office. His staff was very pleasant. His assistant, Ava was very nice. I was told I had LPR. I followed a diet Dr. Zalvan suggested along with a special water. I feel great. I no longer have thta burning feeling. Thanks, Doc!!

I had a visit today with Dr. Zalvan. I was greeted by a lovely receptionist. I've seen many doctors for a chronic cough. Dr. Zalvan listened to my concern and answered all of my questions. My visit with Dr. Zalvan was very positive.

This is the second time I have written this review. The fist one seems to have been deleted, which gives me pause and concern regarding who the operational forces of vitals.com actually are. That said, I saw Dr. Zalvan for chronic asthma. After minimal testing, he told me that my life-long diagnosis of chronic asthma was incorrect and that I had GERD. He was visibly delighted as he told me that all I needed to do was to become a vegan and everything would clear up. When I mentioned the extensive testing and results that his pulmonology colleagues had done to conclusively diagnose my condition as allergy-related asthma, he was just annoyed. Neither his diagnostic skill nor his interpersonal skills were commendable. Look elsewhere.

His manner and excellent treatment of my situation is commendable..If ever I need help in his field..Dr. Zalvan is the Doctor for me...

Split second diagnosis (which turned out to be incorrect) and no follow up; too concerned with getting to the next patient to take the time needed to know what's really going on. A joke.

Good doctor, knows what he is doing. I should have listened to him, but his bedside manner was really off putting. He does not know how to handle patients who have a lot of anxiety. He is clearly in love with himself, but he knows what he is doing.

For throat issues, I can't recommend Dr. Zalvan highly enough. Outstanding knowledge & staff

I had seen other doctors prior to my visit with Dr. Zalvan and received no solution or proper treatment for my condition. I was told by other physicians potential options for my condition were not available to me. However, Dr. Zalvan assured me this was not the case. I did have options and he thoroughly explained all of them to me. He is an amazing physician that I would recommend to anyone. He is extremely down to earth, really takes his time, treats his patients with dignity and respect, and most of all DOES NOT run his practice like a business. He is extremely professional. I highly recommend him

Dr. Zalvan took the time to properly diagnose a condition that two other doctors dropped the ball with. I never felt hurried and am now feeling the benefits of being off medications I should never have been on in the first place.