A graft system for intraluminal delivery in a vessel in need of repair
comprising a graft, anchoring means, and a strippable sheath around at
least part of the graft. A preferred anchoring means is a
balloon-expandable stent. Also included in the invention is a method of
using the device to treat a body lumen. The strippable sheath is
removable by pulling on a drawstring to remove it which permits expansion
of the graft. The positioning of the device may then be adjusted prior to
stent dilation. A preferred embodiment of the invention includes a
bifurcated graft system for intraluminal delivery in an aortic aneurysm
comprising a bifurcated graft having a distal region and two legs, an
expandable stent disposed in part of the distal region, and a strippable
crocheted sheath around the distal region and one of the two legs. The
strippable crocheted sheath is removable by untying it to permit
expansion of the graft after initial placement within the aneurysm.