Self-expanding stent delivery systems and methods having an introducer that receives a delivery catheter. The delivery catheter includes an outer body, an inner body and a stent loaded onto a stent bed within the inner body. At least one anchoring mechanism provided on the inner body helps maintain the undeployed loaded stent appropriately in the stent bed during deployment. The at least one anchoring mechanism can include radiopaque material to increase fluoroscopic visualization of the stent during deployment, and the self-expanding stent can be a bio-absorbable material including drugs or other bio-active agents incorporated therein or provided thereon. After deployment of the stent at the intended treatment site, removal of the inner body and outer body of the delivery catheter and of the introducer occurs.
