Abstract: An intraluminal stent includes a continuous helix of zig-zag wire and loops which connect adjacent apices of the wire. The stent is compressible and self-expandable substantially to a pre-compressed configuration. A method of forming the stent includes bending a length of wire into a zig-zag configuration and a helix and connecting adjacent apices of the wire. A method implanting this stent includes compressing the stent radially, implanting it in a predetermined location of a body vessel, and allowing it to recoil to the configuration it had before compression.