A knitted implantable stent having a hollow tubular structure having opposed
open
ends defining a wall portion therebetween is provided. The wall portion includes
an open lattice structure of a plurality of interconnected perimetrically bound
cells. The cells are defined by a plurality cell segments. The cell segments are
defined by at least two wires knittingly interlaced in a plurality of loops. Adjacent
cell segments are knittingly interlaced with each other to form the open lattice
structure of interconnected perimetrically bound cells. The stent may be a singular
tubular structure or may be a bifurcated stent. Methods for producing the flat
knitted stents include the use of double needle bar flat knitting machines.