How common are gallstones?

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How Common Are Gallstones?

At least 20 million people in the United States have gallstones. And about 700,000 surgeries are done to remove the gallbladder each year.¹

More women than men develop gallstones. People who are obese are more likely to develop gallstones than people who are not overweight.

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Citations
Glasgow RE, Mulvihill SJ (2010). Treatment of gallstone disease. In M Feldman et al., eds., Sleisenger and Fordtran?s Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease, 9th ed., vol. 1, pp. 1121-1138. Philadelphia: Saunders.

By	Healthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Arvydas D. Vanagunas, MD - Gastroenterology
Last Revised	July 15, 2011

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: July 15, 2011

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.