Ruth Bader Ginsburg Undergoes Medical Procedure to Replace a Bile Duct Stent

"The Justice is resting comfortably and expects to be released from the hospital by the end of the week," a statement from the Supreme Court read

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is "resting comfortably" in a New York City hospital following a medical procedure to replace a bile duct stent that was put in last year, according to the court.

"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," a statement released by the Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday read.

"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 statement continued. "The Justice is resting comfortably and expects to be released from the hospital by the end of the week."

The hospitalization — her second in a month — comes almost two weeks after Ginsburg, 87, announced that her cancer has returned.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Charles Dharapak/AP/REX/Shutterstock

In a statement on July 17, the Supreme Court justice shared that she began cancer treatment in mid-May after a February scan and biopsy "revealed lesions on my liver."

"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 in the statement. "I will continue bi-weekly chemotherapy to keep my cancer at bay, and am able to maintain an active daily routine."

Ginsburg added that she's "kept up with opinion writing and all other Court work" while undergoing treatment.

"I have often said I would remain a member of the Court as long as I can do the job full steam," she said. "I remain fully able to do that."

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Eugene Gologursky/Getty

Ginsburg was treated for pancreatic cancer last year and, in 2018, had surgery to treat lung cancer. In addition, Ginsburg survived colon cancer in 1999.

“I love my job. It’s the best and the hardest job that I have ever had. It’s kept me going through four cancer battles,” she said at the 2019 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C., in August. “Instead of concentrating on my aches and pains, I just know that I have to read this set of briefs, go over the draft opinion.”

She added, "I have to somehow surmount whatever is going on in my body and concentrate on the court’s work."