A deployment sheath (20) for medical devices (38) is provided that includes oneor more pleats (34) in its pre-deployment state that are allowed to open duringdeployment so as to facilitate easier device deployment and sheath removal.Preferably, the sheath is removed by everting it over itself during the deliveryprocess. By orienting the pleats along the length of the sheath, preferably helicallyaround the sheath, the sheath undergoes a predictable enlargement during deploymentso as to relieve friction of the everted sheath sliding along itself during deployment.This allows the sheath to be removed with less tension than previous evertingsheath constructions and assures more accurate device placement in a patient.
