Abstract: An intravascular flexible permanent prosthesis (stent) for implantation in a body lumen such as an artery, consists of a plurality of radially expandable and deformable thin-walled ring elements aligned in a common longitudinal axis, and held together by interconnecting links so as to limit longitudinal expansion or contraction during radial deployment. The stent is delivered and expanded within a blood vessel by an angioplasty balloon catheter. The ring elements are formed of a series of hexagonal components or inverted hexagonal components, with elements of a series of hexagonal components preferably alternating with elements formed of a series of inverted hexagonal components. Each point of adjacent ring elements is adjoined by a pair of diametrically opposed links, whilst the succeeding pair of adjacent ring elements is adjoined by a pair of links which are diametrically opposed and located at an angle of 90° to the previous pair of links.