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Surgeon claims women's "saddle surgery" on the up

Following one surgeon's claims labia reduction surgery is rising among female cyclists, industry experts say saddle fit is the answer in the vast majority of cases...

Industry experts have refuted claims that “saddle surgery” is the answer to on-bike discomfort and chafing for the vast majority of women, following claims by one Harley Street surgeon that more women cyclists are undergoing labia reduction surgery.

Saddle surgery, or labioplasty, involves cutting off part of the inner labia to prevent chafing and pinching against the saddle. Although industry experts agree saddle discomfort is a “huge issue” for women, in the vast majority of cases they say this can be solved through a combination of saddle fit, padded shorts and chamois cream.

Harley Street surgeon, Angelica Kavoumi, reported a rise in the number of women seeking labioplasty for anything from cycling and horse riding to golf. Where a year ago she says she carried out three consultations a week with women, that figure is now nine.

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She told the Mail: “When it comes to the inner labia, there isn't a norm. They can vary so much in terms of size and shape. Extra tissue can hang down unprotected, sometimes up to 3 or 4cm.”

Friction to this exposed skin can cause chafing and even bleeding, in some cases leading to infection, she said. However, the labioplasty procedure can be painful and leave significant bruising. A woman, who had the operation, "Kate", said she wasn't back to normal for six weeks, but she felt the procedure had improved her quality of life and confidence.

Industry expert Chris Garrison, who has worked with major bike brands researching ways to improve women’s relationships with their bikes, says there needs to be more information about the wide range of saddles available to women.

While Garrison agrees the issue of saddle discomfort is common among men and women, she adds in the vast majority of cases the issue can be solved without going under the knife.

She says: “It is a huge problem, and the problem basically exists because the bike manufacturers have put [a standard saddle] on a bike, but it’s entirely hit or miss whether it works for riders’ anatomy.”

“Like shoes, saddles come in lots of different shapes, sizes, designs, and of that cornucopia of availability there’s got to be something that works for you. There’s lots of examples of extreme saddles like there’s lots of extreme shoes. Some people think that’s what’s required, and it isn’t.”

“What I would find hard to believe is that anyone who has gone through that process [of trying out different saddle options] wouldn’t be able to find a solution other than surgery.”

Saddle discomfort is more common among women, Garrison says, because as well as being wider, the structure of the female pelvis is different from the male pelvis.

She says: “Underneath the pelvis women have a lot of vascular and nerve structure and this is what’s pressurised when we sit on a bike. That part isn’t different from men.

“What’s different in women is the shape of the pelvis - the pubic arch is significantly lower in women so when you imagine someone sitting on a bike, when the pelvis is rotated forward, women are putting a lot more pressure on the surface tissue in front of the pubic arch than men do.”

She recommends women talk to their local bike shop about saddle fit. What works for each person depends on the individual and the type of bike they are riding, as different bikes will rotate the pelvis more or less.

She says: “You can tell people in the store you are having soft tissue problems when you sit on the bike seat, because that’s something men can understand as well. If the shop acts like it’s too difficult a subject to talk about then find a different shop.”

“We need to be better at educating women that these are anatomical problems and there are other solutions than going under the knife.”

Monika Zamojska, co-founder of clothing brand House of Astbury, says: “In my days of working on the shop floor in a bike shop, every day I got at least 2-3 people inquiring about more comfortable saddles, from women with birth scars to men with prostate problems.

“Bike shops need to up their game to make sure that customers are not afraid to ask those questions. At the time of the purchase customers should be educated and fitted with the right products.”

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15 comments

Avatar
BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
0 likes

more agressive riding position plus crap saddle straight out the shop and/or no idea on how to get yourself set properly + newcomers = issues, male or female.

So many sodding times I've told people to get a saddle that fits, get one that works to avoid pressure sores etc. the sad thing is it can be enough of a problem for the newbie to just give up cycling altogether or even just demote the bike for a couple of short rides a year.

I remember my first tour, (27 years ago next week) 700 miles around Northern France. I'd only just bought the bike two weeks previously, a Raleigh Record Sprint. Fairly standard sports tourer, Reynolds 501 and bang on 22lb for a 23.5". I can't remember exactly what the saddle was but it worked right out the shop and comfortable as anything. I did the best part of 20,000 miles on it (over 2 years) before swapping it for a San Marco La Vie Claire (Concor I think) which got about 80,000 miles out of it before being relegated for a Rolls only due to it being tatty.

Modern day saddles that are fitted to bikes out the factory/shop are often too skinny for the majority of riders and increase saddle pressure in sensitive areas.

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pedalpowerDC | 8 years ago
0 likes

One of the problems with a lot of bike shops in the States is a huge lack of availability of saddles. True fit-oriented shops are pretty rare, and finding a place that stocks more than 2 brands of saddles is getting harder to do.

Ton's of shops try and sell fitting sessions (for $250 a pop), but they won't even carry all of the models and withs of the 1 or 2 brands of saddles they stock. My wife tried 15 different saddles before going with a Selle SMP, but it's nearly impossible to find shops who stock 4 or 5 different SMP models. Plenty of shops can special order SMP and other small brands, but then you're on the hook to buy it even if it doesn't fit. I hardly see any Italian saddles stocked anymore, even Selle Italia, which used to be big. Now, it's Specialized, Bontranger, Fizik, Giant, and other OEM brands.

When I have friends trying to solve a saddle fit problem, I tell them to find a very good shop (or 2) in a big city who offers demos, and go into town for the weekend to try out different options. Maybe demo-by-mail could be the ticket. It's hard for a shop to drop $1000 on 8 different SMPs when they might only sell 1 or 2 per year. 

Avatar
Bob's Bikes | 8 years ago
1 like

SO...... Doc does piece in a paper promoting her business and like lemmings we rush towards the cliff instead of spotting the obvious.

 

That said a bike fit is important and quite often overlooked by the salesperson in some shops who are employed solely to get you to part with your cash.

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CXR94Di2 | 8 years ago
0 likes

To all women, just buy an Adamo seat, leave your labia in place!

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TheSpaniard | 8 years ago
2 likes

Golf? WTF? I think they're holding the club wrong...

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hampstead_bandit | 8 years ago
0 likes

Good bike fit with appropriate saddle selection should minimise this problem.

See a lot of cyclists male and female riding road bikes with terrible fit I.e. not had one?

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congokid | 8 years ago
0 likes

Is this an issue in countries where lots of women cycle?

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surly_by_name | 8 years ago
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Could we ask some pro women cyclists to shed some light on the incidence of this type of thing among women who spend time on a bike saddle for a living? This sounds like complete bollocks (well .... obviously not, but you know what I mean).

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Punkass replied to surly_by_name | 8 years ago
3 likes

surly_by_name wrote:

Could we ask some pro women cyclists to shed some light on the incidence of this type of thing among women who spend time on a bike saddle for a living? This sounds like complete bollocks (well .... obviously not, but you know what I mean).

I've worked with pro women, and this is very much an issue for them. The difference is, most of them know to find a saddle that works. 

Which part is bollocks?

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Awavey replied to Punkass | 8 years ago
0 likes

Punkass wrote:

surly_by_name wrote:

Could we ask some pro women cyclists to shed some light on the incidence of this type of thing among women who spend time on a bike saddle for a living? This sounds like complete bollocks (well .... obviously not, but you know what I mean).

I've worked with pro women, and this is very much an issue for them. The difference is, most of them know to find a saddle that works. 

Id heard it was more common than you would think given pro riders should know how to find a saddle that works, and post career surgery to repair the damage caused, isnt unheard of, whether that means its common I dont think I could say

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DaveE128 | 8 years ago
7 likes

I note this is quoting a Harley Street surgeon. From what I've heard, Harley Street surgeons will always be happy to offer you a surgical option for any issue, whether or not it is the best course of action.

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brooksby replied to DaveE128 | 8 years ago
0 likes

DaveE128 wrote:

I note this is quoting a Harley Street surgeon. From what I've heard, Harley Street surgeons will always be happy to offer you a surgical option for any issue, whether or not it is the best course of action.

My wife's cousin goes to Harley Street. Apparently, this one time, she was charged £400 for a prescription for paracetamol...?!?

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vamper.cc | 8 years ago
3 likes

This is a pretty extreme measure! I can understand how fellow female cyclists could be driven to it though - I was half crippled after taking part in the Prudential. Fortunately, a cheaper and easier solution presented itself - I went for a saddle mapping session which sorted everything out. https://vamper.cc/cyclefit-pressure-mapping-puts-an-end-to-saddle-pain/

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aladdin pain | 8 years ago
0 likes

In related news, "Friends Say Male Cyclist Has Abruptly Stopped Talking About How 'Rule Five' He Is."

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JonD | 8 years ago
1 like

There is another option, which is going recumbent..

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