Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has receive a heart stent, raising questions about the 81-year-old’s future on the bench.

Although Ginsburg is expected to return to work on Monday after the operation was completed yesterday, her condition is concerning some about the liberal jurist’s future in the wake of Republican victories in the House and Senate. Should she leave soon, Obama could find trouble finding a replacement that shares her views that Republicans would sign off on, according to the Boston Herald.

Doctors decided to operate on Ginsburg after finding a blockage on her right coronary artery. She was taken to the hospital Tuesday after experiencing discomfort while exercising with her personal trainer. She was expected to spend just 48 hours at the hospital and expects to be on the bench on Monday reviewing cases.

Ginsburg is considered a leader of the liberal wing of the Supreme Court, and some have called for her to retire sooner rather than later to give Obama a chance to nominate a successor with a like mind, in case Republicans are next to win the White House. Now that Republicans have taken the Senate as well as the House, that could prove more difficult.

However, Ginsburg doesn’t appear eager to step down. She has weathered operations before, dealing with colorectal cancer in 1999 and pancreatic cancer in 2009. She was also hospitalized for a reaction to medicine in 2009 and broken ribs from a fall in 2012. Despite the operations, she has not missed any time since first accepting the job from President Bill Clinton in 1993.

That leaves liberals with two old leaders in Ginsburg and 76-year-old Stephen Breyer, who academics have also called on to step down to make way for younger liberal justices, but that will now be difficult in today’s political climate.

Now, a retirement of a liberal justice could allow Republicans to seize control of the panel, making the difference in critical decisions on the death penalty, abortion, and gay rights.

Still, Supreme Court justices are often loathe to retire. Chief Justice William Rehnquist remained chief justice through his battle with thyroid cancer until his death in 2005. The timing of that death, which occurred during George W. Bush’s tenure, allowed Republicans to choose a young conservative, John Roberts, who currently serves as chief justice.

Ginsburg knows that if she steps down, it will be tough for Democrats to find a replacement, asking the Associated Press in July, “Who do you think could be nominated now that would get through the Senate that you would rather see on the court than me?”