I'm 22, and in less then an hour will be taking Epsom Salts for my first flush ever. I would definitely try a flush before having your gallbladder removed, especially at 23 years of age.
I don't have any particular symptoms of stones, it's just for maintenance and detoxification purposes. Definitely try a few flushes first.. if it's just a sludge, or whatever you called it, it should be easy to remove from the gallbladder with a cleanse.