Chris
I had gall bladder pain for a couple years before I came across some simple, cheap, solutions. I understand why your boyfriend would be worried. Any surgery (no matter what the surgeon tells you) is dangerous. Just think, there is no such thing as a gall bladder transplant. So once it's gone, it's gone forever. At 21, he's got to be able to try some less invasive, cheaper, and simpler things than surgery. Check www.curezone.com and do a search on gall bladder or gallstones. There is a mountain of information and personal stories from people (myself included) who have successfully avoided surgery. Good luck!