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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg released from hospital after being treated for gallstones

Ginsburg underwent nonsurgical treatment for a benign gallbladder condition that was causing an infection.
Image: Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg attends Georgetown Law's second annual Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lecture, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, in Washington.Jacquelyn Martin / AP file

The Notorious R.B.G. appears to be A-OK.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released from the hospital on Wednesday after being treated for gallstones, the court said in a statement.

Ginsburg underwent nonsurgical treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Tuesday for a benign gallbladder condition that was causing an infection. The condition was detected Monday after the court's historic telephone session for oral arguments. Tests confirmed that a gallstone had migrated to her cystic duct, causing a blockage and infection.

Ginsburg, 87, one of the court's liberal-leaning justices, was "resting comfortably" at the hospital before being released. She was treated last summer for a cancerous tumor on her pancreas, and she underwent surgery in late 2018 for lung cancer.

A court spokesman said Tuesday she is doing well and glad to be home. Ginsburg will return to Johns Hopkins Hospital for follow-up outpatient visits over the next few weeks to eventually remove the gallstone non-surgically.

She has vowed to continue her well-know workout routine and stay on the Supreme Court, which is staffed by lifetime presidential appointments, as long as her health permits.

Justices began hearing oral arguments by conference call this week, a historic feat, after a two-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Ginsburg asked questions during the court's telephone argument sessions Monday and Tuesday, and the court said she plans to continue to take part in the oral arguments.