Problem, in the case of the gall bladder, is that some organs basically don't heal. I put up up with the pain (an agonizing few hours, but afterwards felt just

Problem, in the case of the gall bladder, is that some organs basically don't heal. I put up up with the pain (an agonizing few hours, but afterwards felt just fine), which after repeated instances eventually led to an infection and the observation that even if that were resolved the damage had been done with no reversal expected. While I was quite attached to may gall bladder, surgery happened and I've not missed it. Sometimes doctors do something precisely because they know the "milder approaches", know they don't really work, and want to get to a reliable & acceptable solution before other damage occurs requiring more severe treatment. The "cleansing" approach, which (without further description from you) I presume amounts to "consume lots of fats and lie down until your body pushes the stone out" may work, and may also result in severe damage requiring more urgent & worse treatment than simple removal of an organ that's nice to have but far from necessary for survival. Remember, some organs don't really heal, and some treatments have pretty severe risks. (BTW: I say all that having been in the 2% of GB removals that don't go well. On blood thinners, the incisions didn't close properly inside for some time. They didn't let me eat for two weeks.) Surgery may be the last resort, but sometimes you should accept the expert view that other methods will, most likely, get you to that point - and with more damage to contend with. Remember: Steve Jobs famously followed your "surgery is my last resort" notion - with bad results.