A compound stent device includes a first stent portion and a second stent portion, where the second stent portion is formed from a biodegradable material, and the first stent portion is formed from either non-biodegradable material or is biodegradable significantly more slowly than the second portion. The compound stent device is deformable from a first diameter to a second larger diameter Immediately after expansion, the first stent portion and the second stent portion cooperate to provide a first contact area of support for a length of a surrounding vessel. After decomposition of the second stent portion, the first stent portion provides a second contact area of support for the length of the surrounding vessel which is at least 10 percent smaller than the first contact area.
