Ron DeSantis orders elective medical procedures to be postponed

Facelifts, tummy tucks, and more are on hold.

As Florida faces the grim reality of a health care system overstretched by coronavirus, Gov. Ron DeSantis closed the book on elective surgeries.

An Executive Order Friday (EO 20-72) put a stop to “non-essential elective medical procedures,” from virtually any medical shop.

This order lasts until the end of the current COVID-19 State of Emergency, declared Mar. 9.

“All hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, office surgery centers, dental, orthodontic and endodontic offices, and other health care practitioners’ offices in the state of Florida are prohibited from providing any medically unnecessary, non-urgent or non-emergency procedure or surgery which, if delayed, does not place a patient’s immediate health, safety or wellbeing at risk, or will, if delayed, not contribute to the worsening of a serious or life-threatening medical condition,” a release from the Governor’s Office asserted.

The decision, like most of those made by this Governor in reaction to COVID-19, was made after a period of deliberation.

The Executive Order noted federal guidance from Wednesday that “recommended providers limit all “non-essential” elective medical and surgical procedures, including dental procedures.”

“Accordingly,” the order asserts, “all health care practitioners licensed in the State of Florida, including dentists, shall immediately cease performing these elective services.”

Off the table for now: endoscopy, most cataract and lens surgeries, non-urgent spine and orthopedic procedures, and cosmetic procedures.

Permissible procedures, meanwhile, include removal of cancerous tumors, transplants, limb-threatening vascular surgeries, trauma-related procedures, and dental care related to the relief of pain and management of infection.

Friday afternoon’s action continues an active day for the Governor’s pen.

Just hours before, the Governor issued an Executive Order closing restaurant dining rooms and gyms for the duration of Florida’s state of emergency, which runs through at least May 8 as presently contemplated.

Previously, DeSantis closed beaches and more in two hard-hit South Florida counties, Broward County and Palm Beach County.

The Governor also issued an order Friday allowing for city and county commissions to meet via teleconferencing software through the coronavirus emergency.

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7 comments

Travis R Murphy
March 20, 2020 at 6:20 pm

Where does he get the authority?
JE Parkey
March 21, 2020 at 8:53 am

“Facelifts, tummy tucks, and more are on hold.” This is more than a little dismissive to people who have been waiting for life changing, if not life saving, surgeries. For example, my husband’s arm doesn’t work and he has been anxiously waiting for this shoulder surgery. People with burn scars, scars caused by violence, birth defects and injuries, cancer patients waiting to have their ports removed, these are all people for who elective surgery is more than a vanity exercise. Waiting is the only responsible decision and I am sure, like my husband, most are perfectly willing to wait. But to dismiss all elective surgeries, and the people who are waiting for them, the way you have is incredibly thoughtless.
Vicky Jordan
March 22, 2020 at 4:37 pm

Does this include bariatric surgeries as well
- Jakie
  March 23, 2020 at 3:56 pm
  
  Unfortunately yes it does.
Jakie
March 23, 2020 at 3:50 pm

I have been awaiting a total hip with arthroplasty for 3 months to receive the information that I have to wait longer. My hip is dislocated and walking sometimes, becomes unbearable. I am a nurse who is still working, but fortunate that with my position I can control the amount of walking that I do. Nonetheless this is a difficult time for me, my safety,sanity and well being ; also the well being of others. I truly hate the decision in which the Governor has made.
Robert
March 24, 2020 at 2:04 pm

Dads Eye Surgery Cancelled on 3-24-20

My father (84 y.o.) just now (Tues 3-24-20, 1:40 pm-EDT) received a phone call from the surgical nurse that his surgery has been canceled due to the Governor’s decision to stop all elective surgeries, etc. The surgery was to move the muscle in each eye-lid up higher so he could have better vision.

My father has Myasthenia Gravis (an auto-immune disease which weakens the muscles – especially in the upper body, face, throat, eyes, and even limbs), and he recently had 3 medicated stents put in and is a blood thinner. We had many hoops to jump through to get the OK from his Cardiologist and his Neuro-Opthomologist. We had to get numerous medical reports from another state to get all that was needed to get the approval for my father to be taken off the blood thinner for 3 days, etc.

AND NOW WE’RE TOLD EVERYTHING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

My father still enjoys reading, and can even drive a vehicle in the day time… but with his eye-lids drooping more and more this is becoming even more difficult. If you knew all the BS we had to go through, to this point…This was a terrible time to have this cancelled!!!

This virus FEAR has gone too far.
Dentist Irvine
March 27, 2020 at 8:15 am

Many dental services which are not urgent as well were cancelled. Hope this situation end sooner so we can get back again on track.