Stent grafts for the thoracic aorta

1. A method of temporarily reducing the diameter of a stent graft at a plurality of positions along the stent graft, the stent graft comprising a tubular body of a biocompatible graft material and having a proximal end and a distal end and a self expanding stent framework extending from the proximal end to the distal end and supporting the graft material, the method comprising the steps of;

a) extending at least one release wire longitudinally and in only a single half circumferential turn along the stent graft from substantially one side of the stent graft at the proximal end of the stent graft to substantially the opposite side of the stent graft at the distal end of the stent graft along the length of the stent graft;

b) stitching the at least one release wire into the graft material;

c) providing a plurality of diameter reducing segments at each of a plurality of positions along the length of the at least one release wire;

d) engaging each of the plurality of diameter reducing segments around the at least one release wire and extending each of the plurality of diameter reducing segments at least partially about the circumference of the stent graft to a position a selected distance from the at least one release wire; and

e) tightening each of the plurality of diameter reducing segments such that the selected distance is reduced and the overall diameter of the stent graft is reduced.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of diameter reducing segments each comprise a first thread having ends, and the step of tightening comprises engaging the first thread into the graft material, drawing the ends of the first thread together and tying the ends of the first thread to reduce the overall diameter of the stent graft.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the stent framework comprises a series of self expanding stents having struts and the step of engaging the threads into the graft material includes engaging the thread around a plurality of struts of the stent.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of diameter reducing segments comprises a second thread, and the method further comprises the steps of

f) passing the second thread around the at least one release wire, and

g) extending the second thread at least partially about the circumference of the stent graft in the opposite direction to the first thread to a second position a selected second distance from the at least one release wire;

h) engaging the second thread into the graft material, and

i) tightening the second thread such that the second selected distance is reduced.

5. A method of temporarily reducing the diameter of a stent graft at a plurality of positions along the stent graft, the stent graft comprising a tubular body of a biocompatible graft material and having a proximal end and a distal end and a self expanding stent framework extending from the proximal end to the distal end and supporting the graft material, the method comprising the steps of;

a) extending at least a first release wire longitudinally and in only a single half circumferential turn along the stent graft from substantially one side of the graft material tube at the proximal end of the graft material to substantially the opposite side of the graft material tube at the distal end of the graft material along the length of the stent graft;

b) stitching the at least one release wire into the graft material;

c) providing a plurality of diameter reducing segments at each of a plurality of positions along the release wire;

d) engaging each of the plurality of diameter reducing segments around the at least one release wire and extending each of the plurality of diameter reducing segments at least partially about the circumference of the stent graft to a position a selected distance from the at least one release wire; and

e) tightening each of the plurality of diameter reducing segments such that the selected distance is reduced and the overall diameter of the stent graft is reduced;

f) extending at least one second release wire longitudinally and in only a single half circumferential turn along the length of the stent graft from substantially one side of the stent graft at the proximal end of the stent graft opposite the first wire to substantially the opposite side of the stent graft at the distal end of the graft material opposite the first release wire;

g) stitching the at least one second release wire into the graft material;

h) providing a second plurality of diameter reducing segments at each of a plurality of positions along the at least one second release wire;

i) engaging each of the second plurality of diameter reducing segments around the at least one second release wire and extending each of the second plurality of diameter reducing segments at least partially about the circumference of the stent graft to a position a selected distance from the at least one second release wire in a direction opposite the first plurality of diameter reducing segments; and

j) tightening each of the second plurality of diameter reducing segments such that the selected distance is reduced and the overall diameter of the stent graft is further reduced.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second plurality of diameter reducing segments each comprise at least one thread having ends, and the step of tightening comprises engaging the at least one thread into the graft material, drawing the ends of the at least one thread together and tying the ends of the at least one thread.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the stent framework comprises a series of self expanding stents having struts and the step of engaging the threads into the graft material includes engaging the threads around a plurality of struts of a stent.