A flexible intravascular stent for use in a body lumen, comprising: a plurality of cylindrical rings comprising of a distal end cylindrical ring, a proximal end cylindrical ring, and a plurality of body cylindrical rings, all of the cylindrical rings being aligned along a common longitudinal axis and interconnected to form the stent, each cylindrical ring having a first delivery diameter and a second implanted diameter; each body cylindrical ring comprising U-shaped portions, Y-shaped portions, and W-shaped portions, wherein the U-shaped portions comprise first peaks connected by first bar arms and second peaks connected by second bar arms, each of the bar arms (66, 68) having a length, the second bar arms of the second peaks being shorter than the first bar arms of the first peaks; at least one undulating link attaching each cylindrical ring to an adjacent cylindrical ring, the undulating links having a curved portion extending transverse to the stent longitudinal axis toward the second peak, the height of the second peak being sized so that as the stent is compressed to the first delivery diameter, the curved portion of the undulating link is longitudinally aligned with and proximal to the second peak; each undulating link having a first arm and a second arm, the first arm being longer than the second arm and being attached to a base of a respective W-shaped portion, wherein the undulating link first arm and the undulating link second arm are substantially parallel to the stent longitudinal axis, characterized in that the first arm has multiple slight bends along a length of the first arm, wherein one of the slight bends is adjacent the base of the respective W-shaped portion. a plurality of cylindrical rings comprising of a distal end cylindrical ring, a proximal end cylindrical ring, and a plurality of body cylindrical rings, all of the cylindrical rings being aligned along a common longitudinal axis and interconnected to form the stent, each cylindrical ring having a first delivery diameter and a second implanted diameter; each body cylindrical ring comprising U-shaped portions, Y-shaped portions, and W-shaped portions, wherein the U-shaped portions comprise first peaks connected by first bar arms and second peaks connected by second bar arms, each of the bar arms (66, 68) having a length, the second bar arms of the second peaks being shorter than the first bar arms of the first peaks; at least one undulating link attaching each cylindrical ring to an adjacent cylindrical ring, the undulating links having a curved portion extending transverse to the stent longitudinal axis toward the second peak, the height of the second peak being sized so that as the stent is compressed to the first delivery diameter, the curved portion of the undulating link is longitudinally aligned with and proximal to the second peak; each undulating link having a first arm and a second arm, the first arm being longer than the second arm and being attached to a base of a respective W-shaped portion, wherein the undulating link first arm and the undulating link second arm are substantially parallel to the stent longitudinal axis, characterized in that the first arm has multiple slight bends along a length of the first arm, wherein one of the slight bends is adjacent the base of the respective W-shaped portion.