Acquisitions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands											12 Months Ended
	Sep. 06, 2016	May 31, 2016	May 25, 2016	May 04, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Feb. 08, 2016	Dec. 17, 2015	Aug. 07, 2015	Aug. 06, 2014	Aug. 06, 2014	Oct. 31, 2016	Oct. 31, 2014		Oct. 31, 2015	Aug. 01, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill											$ 2,164,748	$ 2,220,900		$ 2,197,077
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life											12 years
Goodwill, Acquired During Period											$ 166,000
CooperSurgical [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill											518,300	359,400		$ 369,500
Goodwill deductible for tax purposes											117,900
Goodwill, Acquired During Period											$ 156,900
Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life											13 years
Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life											11 years
Soflex [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition	Sep. 06, 2016
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred	$ 15,100
Cash paid, net of cash acquired	14,300
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill	7,800
Goodwill, Acquired During Period	9,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net	(1,700)
Soflex [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill	6,700
Soflex [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill	1,000
Soflex [Member] | Non-compete agreement [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill	$ 100
Reprogenetics UK [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition		May 31, 2016
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred		$ 11,700
Cash paid, net of cash acquired		11,400
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill		6,300
Goodwill, Acquired During Period		5,600
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net		(200)
Reprogenetics UK [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill		5,100
Reprogenetics UK [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill		$ 1,200
Recombine [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition			May 25, 2016
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred			$ 84,900
Cash paid, net of cash acquired			84,400
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill			30,000
Goodwill, Acquired During Period			65,400
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net			(10,500)
Recombine [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill			2,400
Recombine [Member] | Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill			23,100
Recombine [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill			$ 4,500
K-Systems [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition				May 04, 2016
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred				$ 11,700
Cash paid, net of cash acquired				11,500
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill				5,400
Goodwill, Acquired During Period				5,600
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net				700
K-Systems [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill				800
K-Systems [Member] | Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill				3,600
K-Systems [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill				$ 1,000
Genesis Genetics [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition					Mar. 31, 2016
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred					$ 61,100
Cash paid, net of cash acquired					60,500
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill					28,600
Goodwill, Acquired During Period					28,700
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net					3,800
Genesis Genetics [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill					25,200
Genesis Genetics [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill					$ 3,400
The Pipette Company [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition						Feb. 08, 2016
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred						$ 20,200
Cash paid, net of cash acquired						19,600
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill						5,600
Goodwill, Acquired During Period						15,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net						(400)
The Pipette Company [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill						5,200
The Pipette Company [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill						$ 400
Research Instruments [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition							Dec. 17, 2015
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred							$ 53,600
Cash paid, net of cash acquired							50,000
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill							10,300
Goodwill, Acquired During Period							35,800
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net							7,600
Research Instruments [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill							1,900
Research Instruments [Member] | Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill							6,200
Research Instruments [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill							$ 2,200
Reprogenetics US [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition								Aug. 07, 2015
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred								$ 47,700
Cash paid, net of cash acquired								44,100
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill								24,200
Goodwill, Acquired During Period								16,900
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net								6,600
Reprogenetics US [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill								21,000
Reprogenetics US [Member] | Trade Names [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill								$ 3,200
Sauflon [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Effective Date of Acquisition										Aug. 06, 2014
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred										$ 1,131,100		1,130,000
Cost of acquired entity, cash paid										1,073,200
Cash paid, net of cash acquired										1,063,100		1,063,077
Loan notes issued (1)										$ 58,000		$ 57,954	[1]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Cash and Equivalents															$ 10,100
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment															83,900
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities Noncurrent															56,700
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Financial Liabilities															85,100
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill															279,400
Goodwill															856,200
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net															$ (4,500)
Sauflon [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life									15 years
Sauflon [Member] | Technology [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Asset, Useful Life									10 years

[1] The loan notes issued at acquisition were fully paid in fiscal 2015.