A flexible stent comprising a helical portion 14 comprising a plurality of side-by-side, individual helical elements 18 helically wound about an axis of the stent, the helical portion 14 being expandable radially upon deployment and compressible, expandable and bendable in a deployed state, and a strut portion 12 on either side of the helical portion 14, each of the strut portions 12 comprising helically aligned strut elements 16a having a first end connected to the helical elements 18 of the helical portion 14, the strut portions 12 being radially expandable upon deployment. The helical elements 18 are elongated elements that do not overlap both in the compressed state and deployed state, and in the deployed state the elongated elements are substantially parallel.
