Ashcroft, 61, was discharged shortly after noon from George Washington University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe gallstonepancreatitis and operated upon.
Gallstonepancreatitis is a condition in which a gallstone blocks a duct of the pancreas, a gland that produces enzymes that aid in the digestion of food.
The most common cause of pancreatitis is gallstone obstruction of the duct leading from the pancreas to the small bowel, causing the fluids to back up into the pancreas.