Dr. Ayah Zegar, MD

After being a patient of Dr. Xie for 13+ years, I remained with the same clinic following her retirement. Her practice was taken over by a team of doctors, and we were given a general list to select from without much information. That’s how we were scheduled with Dr. Ayan Zegar. My godmother, now in her late 90s, was a Chicago business owner and hairstylist for over 60 years. She’s a strong, independent woman, but she now lives with severe arthritis, hearing loss (with only partial hearing through a cochlear implant), and dementia. Because she cannot wear her cochlear implant during spine procedures due to equipment interference, she becomes completely deaf during treatment and is unable to reliably communicate, especially when lying face-down and mildly sedated. For that reason, her primary care physician, a geriatric specialist, supported the use of light anesthesia to ensure the procedures wouldn't be traumatic. We asked Dr. Zegar if she would be open to coordinating with her… geriatric doctor to approve light anesthesia for procedures such as ablations and spinal injections. Dr. Zegar explained that this was not part of her standard approach, and that different doctors practice in different ways, indicating that while Dr. Xie may have done things differently, this is not how she conducts her treatments. Unfortunately, this left little room for collaboration, flexibility, or accommodations. I also experienced similar concerns in my own care with Dr. Zegar. I’ve received ablations and spinal injections for years under Dr. Xie, with care that was both professional and human-centered. In contrast, my interaction with Dr. Zegar felt rushed, impersonal, and overly rigid. When I raised concerns or asked questions, I was met with a dismissive tone, not open dialogue. Pain management, especially for long-term patients, should never feel transactional or emotionally cold. I left my appointment feeling unheard and disappointed. After years of excellent care under Dr. Xie, this experience was a major letdown. We’ve since decided to leave NorthShore’s Pain Management Center entirely, though we are continuing care with our other NorthShore physicians. Unfortunately, we no longer feel confident in this practice’s ability to offer the thoughtful, individualized care my godmother and I both deserve. We hope NorthShore reconsiders how pain management is approached for elderly, disabled, and long-term patients. Medical care should never be one size fits all. Patients deserve to be seen, heard, and treated with dignity, especially when they are most vulnerable.