Justice Ginsburg hospitalized for non-surgical procedure on bile duct

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, battling a recurrence of cancer, was hospitalized Wednesday to undergo "a minimally invasive non-surgical procedure" and likely will be released from the hospital later this week, the Supreme Court announced.

"Justice Ginsburg underwent a minimally invasive non-surgical procedure today at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City to revise a bile duct stent that was originally placed at Sloan Kettering in August 2019. According to her doctors, stent revisions are common occurrences and the procedure, performed using endoscopy and medical imaging guidance, was done to minimize the risk of future infection. The Justice is resting comfortably and expects to be released from the hospital by the end of the week," the release says.

The long-serving liberal icon, who has a history of medical problems, announced earlier this month that she is undergoing chemotherapy treatments for cancer that have been showing promising results.

"On May 19, I began a course of chemotherapy (gemcitabine) to treat a recurrence of cancer. A periodic scan in February followed by a biopsy revealed lesions on my liver. My recent hospitalizations to remove gall stones and treat an infection were unrelated to this recurrence," she noted in a July 17 statement. 

"My most recent scan on July 7 indicated significant reduction of the liver lesions and no new disease. I am tolerating chemotherapy well and am encouraged by the success of my current treatment," she said. 

She reiterated her plan to serve on the bench for as long as she can fully perform the job. "I remain fully able to do that," she said.