Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospitalized for Benign Gallbladder Condition

The Supreme Court announced Tuesday evening that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, underwent a non-surgical procedure for acute cholecystitis, a benign gallbladder condition, earlier today.

Ginsburg received treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and is now resting comfortably, said the high court. She is scheduled to participate in Wednesday’s arguments via teleconference.

“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent non-surgical treatment for acute cholecystitis, a benign gallbladder condition, this afternoon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland,” the Supreme Court said in a statement. “Following oral arguments on Monday, the Justice underwent outpatient tests at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., that confirmed she was suffering from a gallstone that had migrated to her cystic duct, blocking it and causing an infection. The Justice is resting comfortably and plans to participate in the oral argument teleconference tomorrow morning remotely from the hospital. She expects to stay in the hospital for a day or two.”

The announcement comes after Ginsburg was hospitalized at Johns Hopkins Hospital for two nights with the chills and a fever in late November.

Ginsburg — often referred to as the “notorious RBG” in liberal circles — has experienced a string of health issues over the years. The justice broke three of her ribs in a fall in November 2018 and underwent lung cancer surgery in December 2018. She received radiation treatment for pancreatic cancer in August.

Ginsburg also survived colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009.

Despite ongoing speculation of her possible retirement, Ginsburg signaled last summer that she has no plans to step down from the bench.

President Jimmy Carter appointed Ginsburg to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1980 and she was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993.