Atlanta, GA — Team Type 1 founder Phil Southerland will undergo surgery Monday to correct an ailment that has been hampering his cycling for the better part of the past two seasons.
Southerland, a first-year professional, will have surgery performed on his left leg to repair a constriction in his iliac artery, a problem common in cyclists.
The diagnosis was made last week and solves a mystery that went undiagnosed in previous tests. Southerland has been sidelined since pulling out of Stage 1 of the Redlands Bicycle Classic on April 4.
“Every therapist I’ve seen has said something definitely was not right, but they didn’t know what was wrong,” Southerland said. “It’s been a bit of a mental strain because other than my left leg not working at intensity, I had know idea what the problem was, or when it would be fixed. Getting surgery is a relief in that I now have a time frame, and can set new goals accordingly.”
Performing the surgery will be Dr. Kenneth Cherry, Jr., a vascular surgeon at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Va. Monday’s operation will place a patch inside the artery to act as a wedge and open it back up to its proper size.
Southerland must remain off the bike for at least six weeks and can essentially do nothing to exercise his cardiovascular system. For someone with Type 1 diabetes, it will be a shock to the system, he said.
“Exercise, next to my rapid acting insulin, Apidra, is my second-best form of blood sugar control,” Southerland said.
