I lost 90 pounds when I was 16 years of age, via a starvation diet. I ended up with very bad gallstones and many months of attacks.

Finally I had my gallbladder removed when I was 17. They tried to give me an ERCP first, but they couldn't sedate me enough so that I'd stop trying to pull the tube out. The actual removal of my gallbladder went fine, though.

I was terrified of "going under," but it ended up being the best thing I could have done for myself. During my attacks I was starting to become severely jaundiced, meaning that my common bile duct was being blocked by the stones. It'd get so that the palms of my hands, my belly, and the whites of my eyes would start turning yellow. I probably could have died if I'd let it go on much longer.

Anyways, the surgery was a breeze! I have four tiny scars now from the laser (three on my side and one in my navel) and I've never had a problem since then.

Good luck!