A stent and a method for fabricating the stent are disclosed. The stent
has an originally flat pattern and connection points where the sides of
the flat pattern are joined. The method includes the steps of a) cutting
a stent pattern into a flat piece of metal thereby to produce a metal
pattern, b) deforming the metal pattern so as to cause two opposing sides
to meet, and c) joining the two opposing sides at least at one point.
Substantially no portion of the stent projects into the lumen of the
stent when the stent is expanded against the internal wall of a blood
vessel.