Megdad M Zaatreh, MD

I was misdiagnosed by Dr. Zaatreh. I was sent to him by my PCP because I was having episodes where I would lose consciousness. Dr. Zaatreh did an eeg and said it was normal and that I had “pseudoseizures” (which is an outdated name for PNES). He said I was lucky I didn’t have “real seizures”. Dr Zaatreh suggested I see a psychiatrist and a therapist which I did. I saw a therapist an psychiatrist for 4 years, during which these episodes continued. After being placed on many different psychiatric meds, none of which improved these episodes, my psychiatrist urged me to get a second opinion. He didn’t believe these episodes were psychological. I ended up having a bad episode where I was admitted to RWJ hospital. They did a 30 minute eeg. During those thirty minutes they caught several epileptic seizures!! Several! I found another epileptologist after I was released from the hospital who ran a 3 day continuous eeg. I got a diagnosis of temporal lobe and generalized epilepsy. My NEW doctor… said he is certain my episodes were seizures from the start. I waited years for a proper diagnosis because Dr Zaatreh misdiagnosed me. I am not the first person he has misdiagnosed! Steer clear!

This man is a psychiatrist doctor first. He leads with this. **Please if you are BLACK, with epilepsy stay away. This man changed they way we view the health care system forever.*** This man is a psychiatrist doctor first. Google for yourself. I couldn't understand why each visit seemed more like him just listening as if he's a therapist. This was my first impression of him on our first visit....Like hmmm why did that seem like, we just left a psychotherapist office, looking for his next victim. We said jokingly.....It was Just like the movies He would question about all the wrong things. It was so disturbing they way he put his hands on his chin after he ask, "are you happy at home". Me the mom, am I happy at home???? He'll let you speak, in-between his interrogation, until the sun goes downs, just like the movies. He created this theory of my baby not having seizures. one visit, he even ask me was her father her biological father. FYI dad found this guy with hopes of a… male doctor this go round on our journey as a-family to heal our baby from seizures. Our last EEG with him he sent a women in the room who not only check my daughter for abuse but also my son who was 4/5 at the time. she said some birth marks cause epilepsy. I believed this so I complied. She said she needed to look underneath there cloths and see there bare skin. She question why they were not fat, I replied, they have there dads genes, tall and slim. Not knowing what they actually were doing to our babies.... Despite feeling like I just subjected our babies to this unforgettable act, she left the room and that was the last we seen or heard about birth marks causing epilepsy, again didnt kno their intention at time... When I told my friend about this who is who has 30+years in social worker at a very prominent hospital. She informed My fiance and I, that they lied and Dr. Zaatreh and his team is looking for a reason to validated his assumptions of me and my family. Then suddenly it mad sense. I told her everything thing he did and said for the entire relation. Her exact words were, Wow he's scary aggressive, and we should report him to the board of NJ, ...... My family and I were attempting to create a team of what we thought were unbiased doctor and specialists. Surly was we wrong. Not only did we leave the practice, It gets wilder. How about we leave this guy cause clearly what he has to offer is not for us, Not only did he carrry this theroy with his entire staff, but he informed the new neurologist the same. I was unaware of this at the time. Now this new neurologist, defiantly did their du-diligence to see if he was right. The new Doctors did a 7 day video eeg. We were monitored aggressively. Fake roommates, pretending to be sick... Had me bring in her medicine claiming that the pharmacy dosent have her meds in. They took the medicine then brought it back for me to give in hospital.....O a mess. Trying to get us to act the way they perceived us to be. I could tell something wasn't right because they kept saying are you immune to??? .... would you say your???....How do you view your???...If you could describe your child?.... all the wrong questions.etc, etc, All of this for 7 days....for them to dismiss his claims. GOD is good. Thanks to the EEG that they could clearly see its a seizures and NOT WHAT doctor ZAATREH said Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. He legit said she not having siezures. I just don't want him to do this to another family. It's not Okay. My child was diagnosed with seizure disorder on day 7 with the new neurologist . DR. Zaatreh I hope you see this and it opens your eyes to the way you perceive people. Not all black women are ratchet and loud, not all black dad's leave they family and gang bang. I suggest you take classes on how to deal with black patients This is why many don't trust the medical field but we thought we were doing the best we knew how at the time. This is our testament now. Stay prayed up on your journey of healing. No weapon formed against us shall prosper AMEN.

Dr Zaatreh & his staff are the most knowledgeable and caring people I have ever met. They not only got my 16 year old son's seizures under control but they helped me while I was having a hard time dealing with the surprise onset of epilepsy out of no where. My son is now 20 and still in the BEST HANDS possible with Dr. Zaatreh. I wouldnt change this doctor if my life depended on it. My husband & I are now his patients too. When problems arose with us, going to Dr. Zaatreh was a no brainer. Trust me, you will never regret having this doctor taking care of you!!!!

Thank God I found Dr. Zaatreh when I found myself having some episodes of losing consciousness and loss of bladder control. I was rushed to Kennedy Hospital in Washington township. He was the neurologist on call who saw me after I was admitted. He did a brain scan test -EEG - and some other tests. He said that we had to make sure I wasn’t having seizures. After the full battery of tests, he came back to talk to me about the results and determined that I didn’t have any seizures. The video camera that was with the EEG machine recorded what happened to me and so the doctor was able to see me when I had a shaking and loss of conciousness event. He explained to me that I hadn’t had any seizures that were recorded since I went to the hospital, even though I had some events. He asked about my history and said that I was having pseudoseizures, or fake seizures, which are every bit as scary and real as real seizures, but are typically psychological and due to some kind of trauma in my past. He… treated me for the pseudoseizures. I’m so much better now, haven’t had any more episodes. I’m healthier and happier now. He explained that treating pseudoseizures isn’t shameful or embarrassing. Unfortunately, many people think that any problem that happens in your brain means that you’re crazy, but Dr. Zaatreh patiently and compassionately helped me to understand that I should treat my pseudoseizures disorder in the same way that I should treat any other physical disorder. I’m so grateful that Dr.Zaatreh came into my life. I can’t imagine what could’ve happened to me if someone else was on call who didn’t understand the complexities of the human brain and couldn’t relay the information to me in a way that I could understand and accept. He saved my life, my marriage, the upbringing of my children. If you’re not feeling well and no one can understand why, please go see Dr. Zaatreh. He will take care of you.

When Amy, my daughter, was 3 she was not talking much and doctors thought she had autism . We found Dr. Zaatreh on the net after reading about a similar patient he treated . The staff was very helpful . The set us up for an overnight EEG at home which showed a lot of seizure activity. Amy was started on Kepra , a seizure medication and she is much much better. She is talking in sentences right now. Amy and our whole family are so grateful to the doctor, he is the best!.

My daughter is a patient of Dr. Zaatreh. He has been treating her for years and takes the time to listen to her and discuss all treatments and medications before prescribing anything. He has returned my calls after hours from his personal phone and has been instrumental in assessing her condition and moving her forward to dealing with her issue instead of making her believe she is crazy or faking her condition like almost every other doctor has done. Just because you can't see something on a scan doesn't mean it doesn't exist and Dr. Zaatreh goes that extra mile. Great doctor that I would and do recommend to anyone who needs a neurologist.

My fiancé was having lunch with two friends at a restaurant when suddenly she lost consciousness and control of her bladder. She was out for 3 to 4 minutes. While being transported to Kennedy Hospital in Cherry Hill she lost consciousness several more times. Similarly, at the ER she lost consciousness twenty or so more times. The following morning one of the doctors who saw her was Dr. Zaatreh (and I am generous in using the term "doctor"). HIs conclusion? My fiancé made it all up, was wasting his time and only sick people should be in a hospital. Among other things he went on to say that the next time it happens she should take out her cell phone and record it. Of course, he has been reported to both the hospital and the State Review Board.

Dr Zaatreh is a great dr. No one could diagnose what was going on with me. Finally after many years of being sick I'm finally better. He listened to me and answered all my questions and carefully prescribed meds and he and his staff called to check on me and see how I was doing. Dr is very sweet and made me feel o important. When calling the office the girls asked me questions about why I was going to see dr Zaatreh and gave me a very convenient appointment. Staff in the office is so friendly and caring and took care of all my paperwork and my issues and made me feel like they cared about me too. Dr Zaatreh and his staff saved my life. I'm so grateful to them.

I took my son to see Dr. Zaatreh to get a second opinion on his condition. I really appreciated the time he spent with us, asking questions, listening attentively, and offering clear next steps. I also very much appreciate the ability to actually speak with Dr. Zaatreh over the phone. Dr. Zaatreh is a distance from where I live, but he is well worth the drive to see. I did have to wait over an hour in the waiting room to see him at the Freehold office.

I saw Dr. Zaatreh in freehold, one thing I did not like was I waited for about 20 minutes after my appointment, to see th doctor, otherwise every thing was exceptional , doctor Zatreh asked some quesitions about my case that no other doctors asked before, he lestioned to me with great attention to details . Eventually I ended up having an a long EEG at home and my problem was correctly diagnosed he put me on medication called Lamotrigine and I never felt better.