A method is described of loading a self-expanding stent (10) into a deliverysheath (12) that is part of a catheter fortransluminal delivery of the stent to a stenting location in the body of apatient, with the stent being deployed at that location byremoval from the stent of the constraint on its radial expansion that isprovided up to that point by the sheath. The methodinvolves radially compressing the stent； providing a loading sheath (14)；translating the stent relative to the sheath, whereby thestent is accommodated within the lumen of the loading sheath； providing adelivery sheath； advancing the loading sheath, containingthe stent, into the lumen of the delivery sheath； and deploying the stent intothe lumen of the delivery sheath.
