As Maya Angelou once said, “As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.” The very act of breathing is something most of us take for granted—it just happens, quite naturally, until something disrupts the process and impacts our well being.

Whether it’s the result of a sinus problem, allergy, or other issue, to the rescue is an ear, nose, and throat doctor—or ENT specialist. These physicians are specially trained in the medical and surgical treatment of structures of the head and neck. Common ear disorders they treat include hearing and balance issues, infections, facial nerve or cranial nerve disorders, and the management of congenital (birth) and cancerous disorders. When it comes to the nose, ENT doctors primarily care for the nasal cavity and sinuses. Conditions therein include paranasal sinuses, allergies, issues with sense of smell, and nasal respiration, as well as the external appearance of the nose. Such MDs also manage diseases of the voice box and the upper aerodigestive tract, or esophagus, including those that relate to breathing and swallowing. Finally, in the head and neck, these specialists treat infectious diseases and tumors (both benign and malignant/ cancerous), as well as facial trauma and deformities. They can also perform both cosmetic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. David H. Hiltzik, Director of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery at Staten Island University Hospital, is a board certified otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon. His expertise includes all disorders of the ears, nose, and throat for both adult and pediatric patients.

Beyond assisting those with general disorders, Hiltzik treats sinus disease and performs endoscopic sinus surgery, and also handles issues of the thyroid, including performing parathyroid surgery. Other areas of expertise include hearing and balance problems, as well as speech issues, and swallowing and sleep disorders. The doctor also treats head and neck cancer, and does facial plastics, including cranial and facial reconstructive surgery.

Dr. Hiltzik originally hails from Northern New Jersey, and was educated at Penn State and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. He did two years of fellowship in Base and Reconstructive Surgery at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital. He serves the Staten Island community thanks to his mentor, who recognized an opportunity for a quality ENT in the area. Hiltzik currently heads the department at Staten Island University Hospital’s north and south sites, and also spends one day per week at a Manhattan hospital. He may be the first is his family to boast the “doctor” title, but Hiltzik has a family history that includes science-related careers (his grandfather worked on the Manhattan Project during WWII).

“I carry the science torch onward. I really enjoy doing surgery and working with my hands, but the most important thing is that I’m really helping people. In this highly impersonal, technological world, I take it very seriously that my work requires physically touching people,” he offered. As a leader in research on the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases affecting the head and neck, his practice offers an extensive academic program to instruct surgeons on the most advanced techniques to treat these diseases. The doctor was quick to point out why he was happy to join the Staten Island community.

“In particular, I like my patient base. It’s a small town, really—only of approximately 500,000 people—and I treat all types. I take pride in helping the people who make this city run—the fireman, policemen, and sanitation workers. I’m there to serve the entire community.” Beyond treating breathing, nasal, and sinus disorders and diseases, Hiltzik has the ability to help improve patients’ external appearances via functional rhinoplasty. “Once I go in to help people breathe better, I can also help them look better, too,” he said.

He credits the thyroid department at Staten Island University Hospital for the unusual fact that all of these specialized doctors are under one roof, which means easier, more convenient care for patients. Among the most common issues that the doctor sees are deviated septums, as well as sinus problems, breathing issues, and surgical thyroid disorders. The treatments range from medical to surgical, but the doctor doesn’t believe in operating unless it’s absolutely necessary. “Since I’m a medical doctor and surgeon, it’s up to me to decide when to cross that line from treating medically to performing surgery,” he said, later explaining a technique he particularly thrills to.

“The most amazing thing is when I do nasal breathing surgery. On the first postop visit, patients are still swollen, and then after the second visit, they report that they haven’t breathed this well in their entire lives. They’re sleeping better too.” When there’s an aesthetic component, his patients get the win of enjoying the cosmetic aspects of the surgery, but in some instances conditions like snoring issues can also improve, so spouses are happy, too. Beyond his practice, Hiltzik is actively involved in clinical research, which has focused on the bacteriology of sinus disease, endoscopic pituitary surgery, poorly differentiated thyroid disease, and reconstructive techniques for the head and neck using various biomaterials.

He continues to present at national and international meetings on these topics, and in addition to publishing 18 scientific medical articles, he has written seven book chapters. Awards and recognitions include the Inner Circle Teaching Award from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. “It’s very rewarding when patients are satisfied with their results and how I impacted their lives,” he said. “When they send in family members and other loved ones, that’s really a vote of trust.”

David H Hiltzik MD
Director, Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery
501 Seaview Ave., Ste. 202 / 718.226.6110 / nyhni.org