The aim of this study was to report the authors' experience of a new auto-expandable nitinol stent covered by a thin layer of polyester, the Cragg Endopro System 1, for percutaneous internal revascularisation. One hundred and forty-two patients (120 men, 22 women; average age: 63.5 +/- 10 (38-88) received a total of 204 stents (58 iliac, 75 femoral, 9 politeal). The lesions were stenosis in 61 cases, occlusions in 61 cases and aneurysms in 20 cases. The mean length at the femoro-popliteal level was 14.2 +/- 2.4 cm (4-30), at iliac level 9.4 +/- 0.9 (3-15). Implantation was successful in 140/142 cases, a technical success in 136/142 cases (96%). There were 4 acute thromboses requiring surgery and 4 others treated successfully by thrombolysis. There were 18 secondary thromboses. Twenty-nine patients had pyrexia and pain in the treated limb for several days. Over a 27 months follow-up all the iliac stents remained patent; there were 8 restenoses unrelated to the stent, 7 of which were treated by a repeat angioplasty. The primary (PI) and secondary (PII) patency rates at 27 months were: iliac, PI = 97%, PII = 100%; global femoral, PI = 64%, PII = 76% (stenosis PI = 59%, PII = 81%; occlusions, PI = 65%, PII = 74%); lesions of less than 15 cm, PI = 68%, PII = 93%; lesions over 15 cm, PI = 54%, PII: 76%; aneurysms, PI and PII = 88%). The authors conclude that the Cragg Endopro System 1 stent is safe and effective in the treatment of long lesions and aneurysms with encouraging medium term results suggesting that it may be a real alternative to surgery.