This topic is about a person who has been living with Crohn’s disease since they were 17 and is now preparing for a permanent ostomy. As part of the procedure, their rectum and anus will be removed, which is known as a proctectomy. Due to previous surgeries that left a lot of scar tissue, a plastic surgeon initially planned to use an anterolateral-thigh (ALT) flap to help close the area smoothly. This involves transplanting skin, fat, and muscle from the thigh. However, the plan changed when the surgeon found enough healthy skin to work with, so the ALT flap was not needed. The person is curious about others' experiences with this type of surgery and recovery.

Here are some insights and advice shared by others:

1. One person who had both a proctectomy and ostomy at the same time mentioned that healing in the perineal area took longer than expected. They found that using oxygen therapy helped speed up the wound closure.

2. A general piece of advice is to take it easy during recovery. Keeping a close eye on how the healing is progressing can make the process more manageable.

3. Hospital stays and recovery times can vary, so it’s helpful to be prepared for a potentially longer healing period, especially if you are older.