Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was released from the hospital Thursday after having a heart stent implanted to clear a blocked artery, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said. The 81-year-old jurist was sent home and was expected to be at work when the court hears its next round of oral arguments on Monday, spokesman Kathy Arberg said.
Ginsburg was rushed to MedStar Washington Hospital Center late Tuesday after experiencing discomfort during exercise with a personal trainer. She has had a series of health problems, including colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009. Ginsburg's procedure came after a blockage was discovered in her right coronary artery, Arberg said.
The justice, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, has rejected suggestions from some liberals that she should step down and give President Barack Obama a chance to name her successor. Her hospitalization just three weeks after elections handed Republicans control of the Senate raised anew the question whether Obama would be able to appoint a like-minded replacement.
