A self-expanding flexible stent comprising: a first strut portion wound about an axis of said stent at a first end of said stent and a second strut portion wound about said axis of said stent at a second end of said stent , said first and second strut portions being wound about said axis of said stent at a first acute angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to said axis, a helical strut member helically wound about said axis of said stent at a second acute angle with respect to said plane perpendicular to said axis, said first acute angle being smaller than said second acute angle, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of strut elements , wherein said strut elements have a wave pattern of individual wave portions, wherein each individual wave portion has a peak, a first transitional helical portion comprising a plurality of side-by-side, individual helical elements interconnected between said first strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member , and a second transitional helical portion comprising a plurality of side-by-side, individual helical elements interconnected between said second strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member , wherein said helical elements progress helically about said stent , and a helical portion comprising a plurality of side-by-side, individual helical elements , wherein said helical elements are helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction as said helical strut member , and wherein each peak on one side of said strut elements is connected to a respective peak on the other side of said strut elements in a subsequent winding of the helical strut member by one of said helical elements so that the points on the strut elements connected by the helical element are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is more than 25% of the circumference of the stent in its deployed state, and so that all the strut elements in each winding are connected to a subsequent winding. a first strut portion wound about an axis of said stent at a first end of said stent and a second strut portion wound about said axis of said stent at a second end of said stent , said first and second strut portions being wound about said axis of said stent at a first acute angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to said axis, a helical strut member helically wound about said axis of said stent at a second acute angle with respect to said plane perpendicular to said axis, said first acute angle being smaller than said second acute angle, said helical strut member comprising a plurality of strut elements , wherein said strut elements have a wave pattern of individual wave portions, wherein each individual wave portion has a peak, a first transitional helical portion comprising a plurality of side-by-side, individual helical elements interconnected between said first strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member , and a second transitional helical portion comprising a plurality of side-by-side, individual helical elements interconnected between said second strut portion and a winding of said helical strut member , wherein said helical elements progress helically about said stent , and a helical portion comprising a plurality of side-by-side, individual helical elements , wherein said helical elements are helically wound about said axis of said stent in the same direction as said helical strut member , and wherein each peak on one side of said strut elements is connected to a respective peak on the other side of said strut elements in a subsequent winding of the helical strut member by one of said helical elements so that the points on the strut elements connected by the helical element are spaced apart circumferentially by a distance which is more than 25% of the circumference of the stent in its deployed state, and so that all the strut elements in each winding are connected to a subsequent winding. <EOS>