Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			66 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013 patents claims	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013 lawsuits patents claims	Feb. 25, 2014 claims
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product assigned to one judge in state court in Massachusetts							1,700
Accrual for legal matters that are probable and estimable			$ 607,000,000	$ 491,000,000		$ 607,000,000
Product liability lawsuits related to defibrillators or pacemakers			30			30
Suits Pending Against Guidant in Canada and Filed as Class Actions			6			6
Suits Pending Against Guidant in Canada, Pending Outcome of Two Lead Class Actions			4			4
Loss Contingency, Settlement Agreement, Consideration			3,000,000			3,000,000
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product							18,000
Loss Contingency, Number of Defendants						92
Litigation-related charges			221,000,000	192,000,000	48,000,000
Initial GI stent patents allegedly infringed (Pulnev and Hankh patents)			3			3
Additional Pulnev patents added to infringement suit			6			6
U.S. Patents Owned by Vascular Solutions			3			3
Patents (the Azizi patents) Owned by Kardiametrics			2			2
Individual Lawsuits Pending in Various State and Federal Jurisdictions Against Guidant			10			10
Minimum damages for Guidant breach of Merger Agreement			5,500,000,000
U.S. patents (the Morris patents) owned by Wyeth and licensed to Cordis			3			3
U.S. patents (the Morris patents) owned by Wyeth and licensed to Cordis - Wyeth and Cordis subsequently withdrew their infringement claim			1			1
U.S. patents (the Morris patents) owned by Wyeth and licensed to Cordis - remaining two invalid			2			2
Settlement for lost profits related to the Jang patent litigation					18,500,000
Settlement for royalties related to Jang patent					1,000,000
Total damages awarded to BSC related to Jang patent		41,000,000
Payments for Legal Settlements	30,000,000
Legal Fees	$ 1,000,000
Putative class actions in the U.S., Mesh							8
Product liability cases or claims in Canada, Mesh							10
Putative class actions in Canada, Mesh							3
patents (the Fischell patents) owned by Cordis			3			3
U.S. patents (the Addonizio and Pazienza patents)			2			2
Orbus patents			2			2