Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent a procedure on her heart early Wednesday morning and is expected to be released from a Washington area hospital in the next couple of days.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Has Heart Surgery

Ginsburg’s health scare was announced in a press release Wednesday:

“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent a coronary catheterization procedure this morning at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center to place a stent in her right coronary artery. The coronary blockage was discovered after Justice Ginsburg experienced discomfort during routine exercise last night and was taken to the hospital. She is resting comfortably and is expected to be discharged in the next 48 hours.”

 

In the past, Ginsburg’s health troubles have included a bout of colon cancer in 1999 followed by pancreatic cancer 10 years later in 2009. Despite her various treatments, Ginsburg has not missed any time on the job as a Supreme Court Justice.

Bill Clinton appointed Ginsburg, 81, to the court in 1999. When asked over the summer if she had plans to retire in the near future, Ginsburg said she’d stay on the Supreme Court until she felt she was no longer up to it – partially because she fears who would take her place.

“Who do you think President Obama could appoint at this very day, given the boundaries that we have? If I resign any time this year, he could not successfully appoint anyone I would like to see in the court,” Ginsburg told Elle. “Anybody who thinks that if I step down, Obama could appoint someone like me, they’re misguided. As long as I can do the job full steam…. I think I’ll recognize when the time comes that I can’t any longer. But now I can.”