Gallstones are very common.
It is estimated that 15 to 20 million adults in the united states have them. Fortunately, the majority do not cause symptoms. In the past when gallstones were uncovered it was usually recommended that they be surgically removed, mainly on the assumption that sooner or later they would cause significant symptoms. This is not the view today. If the patient does not have gallbladder surgery they generally do as well as those who have elective surgery, that is, they do not have an increased rate of complications from the gallstones as once thought.