Stent/Graft Assembly

Abstract

A stent/graft assembly includes a tubular graft connected in substantially end-to-end relationship with a generally tubular stent. Free ends of the stent and graft extend in opposite directions from the end-to-end connection during a pre-deployment orientation of the assembly. However, the graft is inverted during deployment so that free ends of the graft and the stent extend in substantially the same direction from the end-to-end connection in a post-deployment orientation. Thus, at least a portion of the stent is disposed within at least a portion of the graft in a post-deployment orientation of the assembly.

1 . A stent/graft deployment method comprising:
 providing a stent/graft assembly having a substantially tubular graft with opposite first and second ends and a stent affixed to the first end of the tubular graft;   mounting said stent/graft assembly into an introducer sheath such that said second end of said tubular graft is releasably secured in proximity to an free end of said introducer sheath;   guiding the free end of the introducer sheath to a selected location in a blood vessel;   expanding the second end of the tubular graft circumferentially and into engagement with interior surface regions of said blood vessel;   advancing said stent and said first end of said tubular graft through the second end of the tubular graft so that the tubular graft is turned substantially inside out; and   expanding the stent circumferentially so that the stent urges the first end of the tubular graft circumferentially into engagement with the interior surface regions of said blood vessel at locations spaced from the introducer sheath.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing a stent/graft assembly comprises providing tubular graft and affixing said stent to said graft in substantially end-to-end relationship. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of expanding the first end of the tubular graft includes expanding the open end of the introducer sheath to expand the first end of the tubular graft releasably connected thereto. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of releasing the introducer sheath from the first end of the tubular graft. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stent is a first stent and wherein the step of providing a stent/graft assembly comprises providing a stent/graft assembly having a second stent affixed to the second end of the tubular graft, and wherein the step of expanding the second end of the tubular graft is carried out by expanding the second stent.