The procedure was done on Dec. 21, the Supreme Court confirmed in a statement.
It said, “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent a pulmonary lobectomy today at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.”
During the operation, “Two nodules in the lower lobe of her left lung were discovered incidentally during tests performed at George Washington University Hospital to diagnose and treat rib fractures sustained in a fall” last month, the Supreme Court said.
A thoracic surgeon said the “nodules removed during surgery were found to be malignant on initial pathology evaluation,” the statement read, adding that now, there is “no evidence of any remaining disease.”
Scans performed at the medical facility showed the 85-year-old showed no signs of disease in the body and no more treatment is planned.
“Justice Ginsburg is resting comfortably and is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days,” said the statement.
Other details were not provided by the Supreme Court.
It comes as Ginsburg, a former litigator for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is recovering from three rib fractures she suffered after falling down in her office on Nov. 7.
In 2014, she underwent a procedure to have a stent placed in her coronary artery.
The full court statement reads:
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg underwent a pulmonary lobectomy today at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Two nodules in the lower lobe of her left lung were discovered incidentally during tests performed at George Washington University Hospital to diagnose and treat rib fractures sustained in a fall on November 7. According to the thoracic surgeon, Valerie W. Rusch, MD, FACS, both nodules removed during surgery were found to be malignant on initial pathology evaluation. Post-surgery, there was no evidence of any remaining disease. Scans performed before surgery indicated no evidence of disease elsewhere in the body. Currently, no further treatment is planned. Justice Ginsburg is resting comfortably and is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days. Updates will be provided as they become available.”
