by starting with a stent of nitinol having the dimensions set forth in fig4 the expanded condition provides a stent having the desirable properties described hereinbefore with reference to fig3 all dimensions in the figure are in inches of course this is but one example of a stent according to the invention fig7 similarly to fig1 illustrates a narrowing vessel 52 having a wide region 56 a narrowed region 58 a branching vessel 55 and a stenosis not shown somewhere in between regions 56 and 58 i e the cross hatched region again narrowing vessel of fig7 illustrates the geometry as found at the bifurcation of the left common carotid artery 57 where blood flows from the left common carotid artery 57 into the left internal carotid artery 59 fig2 b illustrates a plot 66 b of outward radial force f along a tapered expandable stent length l for a stent embodying the present invention the stent has a greater force in its middle region 67 b than at its end regions 68 b and 70 b a tapered stent having the force curve of fig2 b is suitable for bridging a stenosis as illustrated in fig7 having sufficient force to hold open.