As of 2021-04-15, Dr Osterweil is taking indefinite leave; patients are being referred to Dr Alexa Lessow. 3/1/2018 Review Smart, thorough, and attentive, and he says he doesn't care about his Yelp reviews.  Hard to get on the phone, though; he seems to be in great demand. read more

Revising my last review about "hidden charges". I got a call from Dr. Osterweil detailing the exact charges for that visit. It was misplaced anger on my part. The situation was that a 30 minute ordinary ENT office visit warranted a $200 bill because of insurance policies that are outdated. The blame should be put on insurance companies. I'm not saying that this situation could not be avoided. If anything, I could have asked about the procedures and their cost before permission was given to perform the procedures. (It would be nice if the doctor could give a disclaimer of the price before performing the procedure as well.) The lesson learned is to take your health in your own hands! The system is not as transparent as it should be and if you ever feel any concern or ambiguity, just ask. If you read my first review, Dr. Osterweil was absolutely fantastic. Even after this debacle (in my opinion), he and his biller explained all the charges to me and also sympathized with my displeasure. What can you do? The government really needs to get on this healthcare reform. read more

So I randomly made an appointment with the wrong type of doctor. I need an allergist and Dr. Osterweil is a ear, throat and nose specialist/surgeon. But he is fantastic. Rather than turn me away or rush thru a quick checkup to hurry me on to an actual allergist, he did a very thorough check up and even gave me a quick vocal lesson. Really. Who knew that I actually needed to see an ear doctor because my ear's aren't self cleaning. I haven't had my ears cleaned since I was baby, and now I am sonically free of the build up. True to the other reviews he answers questions, no matter how irrelevant or silly they are. I wanted to know if I was tone deaf and I finally got an answer. Apparently I'm just lazy and self-conscious. I've been freed of my apprehension to go singing in the rain or daylight as a subway singer for some quick change. Dr. Osterweil gave me some quick types on how to stay in range and hone my vocal skills. I now might take my fire red wig and become the next psuedo singing pop star. All thanks to a mistaken doctors appoint. Are all the dope doctors on 86th street? read more

3 years later, Dr. O is still my ENT and I wish I could give him ten stars. Seriously. He always provides excellent care for any issues I might have, and also it's rare in this city to find a doctor who will actually relate to you on a personal level and make you feel heard/understood, no matter how neurotic you think your concerns might be. I actually look forward to going in (how often can you say that about doctor visits?), because I know it'll be a great experience and whatever concerns/issues I'm having will be addressed 100%. read more

I recently went in to have an earwax cleaning with Dr. Osterweil, and the procedure was a success! The cleaning itself was a bit uncomfortable at times, but he managed to talk me through it and helped make it much easier. And I started being able to hear clearly as soon as it was over! I had previously been to a CVS minuteclinic, and had used Debrox at home, all to no effect - but this worked! If you are looking for a solid, effective, professional ear cleaning, look no further! read more

I want to start off by saying if I could give Osterweil 0 stars I would. I have never used yelp before, but I signed up because I want to warn others NOT to trust Dr. Osterweil . I am confident in saying the surgery I am about to undergo to repair my left ear drum could have been entirely avoided if Osterweil had picked up on the SEVERE fungal and bacterial infection that was eating away at my inner ear. Due to chronic ear problems in my family's history, three members of my family have been going to Osterweil . I go yearly for checkups and cleaning of wax. I do suffer from chronic ear infections, but whenever I went aside from the standard checkup (which is more often than most), after the at least 1-hour wait, he would briefly glance in my ear, declare that I indeed (no duh!) had an ear infection and prescribe antibiotics. I was not once led to believe anything unusual was going on with my ear aside from having TMJ. Or so I thought. About a year ago, I got an awful ear infection while on vacation. When I saw Osterweil upon returning from the trip, I was led to believe that the antibiotic treatment I received while away had indeed, in his words "cleared up". False. Fast forward to the present, and I again have an infection that leaves me sleepless and doubled over in pain for nearly a week. I changed insurance so I went to a new doctor. Thank god I did. My new ENT takes one look in the infected left ear and literally gasped at what she saw. I not only have a mix of severe fungal and bacterial infections that have been eating away at my inner ear (to the point where the bone is now exposed), but also have holes in my ear drum because this infection having gone on untreated for so long. You can imagine my surprise when she tells me, and I quote: "it looks like this has been going on for years, five or more". I have since been recommended to an ontological specialist due to the infections severity, where an ongoing treatment of this fungus/bacteria has been both unbelievably painful and difficult to eradicate because I've had it for so long. Once it is under control (which despite weekly ENT visits it is still not), I will need to have surgery on my ear drum. There may be permanent hearing loss in my left ear. My hope in writing this review is to ensure that others do not take what Osterweil says at face value. I trusted this man, as did my father -- who Osterweil misdiagnosed as well, with nearly dire consequences -- but that in itself is another story. I was told by my current ENT my suffering could have at least been cut in half if treated earlier. Surgery would have been avoidable. Please think twice before booking an appointment with Dr. Zvi Osterweil, and if you did see him already, get a second opinion. How he did not see these infections I do not know, or why he decided it wasn't worth mentioning if he did see something, is beyond comprehension. My faith in private medical practice has been deeply shaken due to this man. You don't want to make the same mistake I did. read more

Dr. Osterweil was professional, thorough, and absolutely hilarious. Highly recommended.

We give up. We have made 2 appointments with this individual via zocdoc, only to have this individual's office cancel both times late on us. Clearly doesn't care, go elsewhere read more

Dr. Osterweil is awesome. I've had some acid reflux issues and have been seeing him off and on for about 3 years. He's so personable, answers all my questions and I never feel rushed or like I don't know what's going on when I leave. I highly recommend him! read more

I have been to Dr. Osterweil many times over the years. I personally have only had good experiences with him and he has always been able to help me. I once went to another ENT to have the wax taken out of my ears and not only did it hurt alot, I got an infection. After that experience I will only go to Dr. Osterweil! read more

A great experience. From booking my appointment to leaving the office, I couldn't be happier. They were able to book me an appointment within a couple of days of my call. The office is clean and the office staff friendly. My wait wasn't too long. Dr. Osterweil has excellent bedside manner (and is funny!) and explained everything really well, from the tests he did to why he thought I had what I had. Definitely recommend! read more

No freebies offered and no relation to Dr. Osterweil..... just a voluntary thank you to the doctor for his good care over the years. I have had ENT problems my whole life...and he is the best doctor I have ever had to treat them. He is smart; personable; honest; and never takes advantage. He is also a good diagnostician. And as if this were not enough, he has an amazing large piece of art in his examining room. Without reservation, I recommend him here as I have to many others in person. Thanks for reading! read more

Visited Dr. Osterweil earlier this week for the first time. He asked all the right questions and gave me a thorough exam. He was personable and approachable, as well as quick. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. I was able to get an appointment in two days, which was appreciated, as well as unusual. read more

It's extremely unusual in today's medical environment to experience a top flight physician with top flight credentials who is also a very kind and truly caring person with a great sense of humor and bedside personality. Throw in patience, and you've got Dr. Osterweil. I simply called his office for my records to sent to a cosmetic surgeon, and he called me personally to ask me what I was having done and that he wanted to discuss anything with me before I did it. How often does a specialist at this level pick up a phone and call his patient out of concern? He's also excellent at PERSONALLY returning all his calls. He is an extraordinary find, and I'm reluctant to share this review with the rest of the world, but I feel it's my civic obligation to do so. Peter Kalmus read more

so impressed with Dr. Osterweil. Fantastic doctor - clearly explains the situation and doesn't rush to get to the next appointment. Funny, caring, awesome. read more

Fantastic doc. Attentive and caring and always makes time for you concerns. I would recommend him. My mother in law just went to him and loved him too. read more

I was extremely impressed by Dr. Osterweil's professionalism and thoroughness. Although I came in with a very minor problem, he explained everything to me in detail (with patient education charts and all) and treated me like he truly cared about me and my issue. I definitely recommend Dr. Osterweil. read more

Came in with a horrible sinus infection, can't thank the doctor here enough for being so caring and kind throughout such a painful experience. Highly recommend for such excellent care. Thank you! read more

I went for a second opinion to Dr. Osterweil. He treated me with a regimen that helped me to avoid surgery. The other ENT who wanted to operate used a numbing spray to look in my nose with a camera. It tasted terrible and the annoying numb feeling lasted a long time. Dr. Osterweil was so gentle with the camera, that he didn't need to use the numbing spray, and I felt no pain at all. Amazing hands, very smart, and excellent bedside manner. read more

I first went to Dr. Osterweil last year because my brother-in-law couldn't stop singing his praises after a successful sleep apnea surgery. I went to him because I had frequent sinus infections and sinus headaches. Dr. Osterweil eventually performed an in-office balloon sinus procedure a few months ago. Since then, I have had no sinus headaches, and I only had one cold which was mild and not nearly as bad as my usual sinus infections. Dr. Osterweil is also very patient and takes the time to explain everything. He calls with results himself rather than having his staff do it, and he always returns my phone calls promptly. read more

I rarely write recommendations but feel compelled due to my experience with Dr. Osterweil and the exemplary level of service I continue to receive from him. I have been going to Dr. Osterweil for years. I often refer to him as the guy who saved my life somewhat jokingly but more seriously after he correctly diagnosed me with sleep apnea after a visit to his office for allegeries. After Dr. Osterweil examined me he suggested that I might want to take a sleep test because he felt that I might have sleep apnea. Well suffice to say I went for a sleep test and found out that I had a serious case of apnea where I would stop breathing about 40 times an hour. After I got the results he explained that when you have apnea and are over the age of 35 you have a higher risk of having a stroke in your sleep. Obviously I was very concerned about this and asked how I could address this problem. Dr. Osterweil explained my options CPAP machine or surgery (called U Triple P - when you remove tosils, anodes and your uvula) and futher explained the pros and cons of each treatment. Dr. Osterweil was so thorough in his evaluation and explanation of my treatment options that I felt very informed and comfortable in making a decision. I choose to have the surgery and before he would schedule me for the surgery, he required me to get a full physical and stress test. Again this is how thorough Dr.Osterweil is with all his patients that are having surgery. The surgery went well even though this is a complicated surgery and 3 weeks later I was sleeping like a baby. Dr. Osterweil is simply the best, I only wish that he was a generlist/primary physician and cardiologist all in one, so I would only have to see one doctor. Simply put...he is one of the good guys!! read more