Coach Lindsay instructs one of his players during a game at Berean Christian School.

Coach Lindsay instructs one of his players during a game at Berean Christian School.

As a high school boys’ varsity basketball coach in Knoxville for more than 30 years, wearing athletic shorts has long been a part of Christopher Lindsay’s daily attire.

“I live in shorts, I wear them all the time,” says Lindsay. “I wear them almost all year long.”

Even though Coach Lindsay likes wearing shorts, he didn’t like the appearance of varicose veins on his legs.

“I didn’t like having crazy-looking legs. It looked like a road map, especially on the side of my left leg,” explains Lindsay.

Lindsay believes his varicose vein issues started in college. “I was hit in the leg by a pitch three times in the same game, and it became the bruise that never went away.”

Since Lindsay’s varicose veins didn’t cause severe pain, only an occasional tightness, he lived with the problem for years. Until, he had a frightening experience in the shower last fall.

“I must have hit my leg on something because suddenly my leg was bleeding badly. The bottom of the shower was covered in blood -I thought I was going to bleed out!” remembers Lindsay.

Lindsay mentioned the incident to his family doctor during his yearly physical and his physician recommended he visit Premier Vein Clinics for treatment.
Dr. Donald Akers, Vascular Surgeon

Dr. Donald Akers, Vascular Surgeon

After researching Premier Vein Clinics online, Lindsay chose Dr. Donald Akers as his vein specialist. “I’ve known the Akers family for a long time, and I wanted to go somewhere close to home,” says the 61-year-old coach.

At Premier Vein Clinics Lindsay underwent an ultrasound to evaluate the blood flow in both legs. Venous insufficiency, a condition in which the veins have difficulty sending blood from the legs back to the heart, was discovered in his left leg. In an outpatient procedure, Dr. Akers used Endovenous Laser Therapy (EVLT) to treat the diseased vein in his left leg. With EVLT laser energy is delivered with an optic fiber through a small puncture in the leg. The laser heats and closes the vein, allowing blood to be naturally rerouted to other healthy veins.

Lindsay’s leg was bandaged and wrapped immediately after the procedure, and he wore a compression stocking for a couple of weeks while his leg healed. “For the first 24 hours, I had “mummy leg”,” laughs Lindsay.

A few months later, Lindsay returned to Premier Vein Clinics for sclerotherapy on both legs to address the visible spider veins. Sclerotherapy is a minimally-invasive treatment in which abnormal and small spider veins are injected with a solution that cause them to swell, collapse and fade away over time. “I had 9 sticks to my left leg and 4 on my right leg,” says Lindsay. “It was fine. I didn’t find it painful or uncomfortable at all.”

Coach Lindsay says he’s glad he had his varicose veins treated. “I’d tell people if you’re having problems with your legs you need to get it checked out. I feel better for having it done. I should’ve done it a long time ago!”

And, as his legs heal, Lindsay is looking forward to once again having legs that look nice in shorts. “Your legs are important. Guys shouldn’t forget that their legs matter too. You don’t want to go around with crazy looking spider veins on them!”

For more information about varicose vein treatment options, call Premier Vein Clinics in Knoxville at (865) 588-8229 or request an appointment online at www.premierveinclinics.com