Abstract: A self-expanding stent formed of stainless steel wire arranged in a closed zig-zag configuration includes an endless series of straight sections joined at their ends by bends. The stent is compressible into a reduced diameter size for insertion into and removal from a body passageway. The bends of at least one end of the stent are formed into eyes for connection with the eyes at one end of a similarly constructed stent to permit single-step introduction of several lengths of stent into the passageway. A stent can include a monofilament thread passing through successive eyes at one end of the stent, the thread passing through each eye at least once and through some of the eyes a second time. The trailing ends of the thread extend from the stent and outside the body passageway. The stent can be retrieved from the body passageway by threading a tube of the free ends of the thread until the tube is adjacent the stent.