CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Apr. 02, 2011
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income	$ 38,800,000	$ 66,886,000	$ 79,980,000
Non cash items:
Depreciation and amortization	65,481,000	49,966,000	48,145,000
Amortization of financing costs	1,139,000	0	0
Stock compensation expense	10,969,000	9,286,000	10,810,000
Deferred tax expense	589,000	5,878,000	5,782,000
Loss on sale of property, plant and equipment	351,000	772,000	674,000
Unrealized loss from hedging activities	700,000	166,000	(614,000)
Contingent consideration income	0	(1,580,000)	(1,894,000)
Reversal of interest expense on contingent consideration	0	(574,000)	(416,000)
Asset write-off	4,247,000	0	0
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Increase in accounts receivable, net	(38,080,000)	(10,539,000)	(3,920,000)
Increase in inventories	(18,685,000)	(32,528,000)	(2,560,000)
(Increase)/decrease in prepaid income taxes	(4,025,000)	3,058,000	1,680,000
(Increase)/decrease in other assets and other long-term liabilities	(6,187,000)	3,156,000	(470,000)
Tax benefit of exercise of stock options	4,194,000	1,958,000	4,941,000
(Decrease)/increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses	25,581,000	19,413,000	(18,683,000)
Net cash provided by operating activities	85,074,000	115,318,000	123,455,000
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures on property, plant and equipment	(62,188,000)	(53,198,000)	(46,669,000)
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	1,968,000	1,002,000	1,468,000
Acquisition of Whole Blood Business	(535,175,000)	0	0
Acquisition of Global Med Technologies	0	0	(128,000)
Acquisition of ACCS	0	0	(6,229,000)
Investment in Hemerus	(1,000,000)	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(596,395,000)	(52,196,000)	(51,558,000)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Payments on long-term real estate mortgage	(886,000)	(815,000)	(632,000)
Net (decrease)/increase in short-term loans	7,446,000	(288,000)	(15,153,000)
Term loan borrowings	475,000,000	0	0
Debt issuance costs	(5,467,000)	0	0
Proceeds from employee stock purchase plan	4,142,000	3,723,000	3,681,000
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	27,517,000	15,475,000	40,896,000
Excess tax benefit on exercise of stock options	4,101,000	1,433,000	3,124,000
Share repurchase	(50,000,000)	(49,998,000)	(50,000,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	461,853,000	(30,470,000)	(18,084,000)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(273,000)	(498,000)	1,332,000
Net (Decrease)/Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(49,741,000)	32,154,000	55,145,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Year	228,861,000	196,707,000	141,562,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period	179,120,000	228,861,000	196,707,000
Non-cash Investing and Financing Activities:
Transfers from inventory to fixed assets for placement of Haemonetics equipment	21,677,000	18,333,000	5,069,000
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information:
Interest paid	5,910,000	414,000	487,000
Income taxes paid	$ 13,178,000	$ 10,764,000	$ 16,669,000