An apparatus (10) for deploying and retrieving a self-expanding intravascular stent (22) includes an intravascular delivery wire (44) and floating marker band (12) movably retained over the intravascular stent delivery wire and releasably mounting the self-expanding intravascular stent. The floating marker band is movably retained to a fixed marker band, and a distance between the fixed marker band and the floating marker band is variable and self-adjusting. One or more struts (56) of the self-expanding intravascular stent are releasably constrained between a catheter wall (60) and one or more sides of the floating marker band.
