Gallbladder disease and cholecystectomy rate are independently variable.

In Britain, gallstones can be expected to develop in 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men. Gallbladder disease in Dundee was more frequent in 1974-83 than in 1953-73. During 1961-81 the number of cholecystectomies trebled in Dundee and doubled in Scotland as a whole, but this could not be explained by changes in the prevalence of gallbladder disease. Between 1974 and 1983 in Dundee, 48 patients died of gallstone disease. 22 out of 54 (41%) patients with common bileduct stones at necropsy and 26 out of 1034 (2.5%) with gallbladder stones only at necropsy died from an associated cause. A further 26 died from gallbladder surgery without bileduct surgery. Gallbladder disease was not associated with death from myocardial infarction, and there was no relationship between gallstones and gallbladder cholesterolosis. 22 patients were found to have secondary carcinoma of the gallbladder and 17 were found to have primary carcinoma of the gallbladder at necropsy.