Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) reportablesegments	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	$ 8,386	$ 7,477	$ 7,376
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,630	1,490	1,507
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	9,076	8,068	7,462
Impact of foreign currency fluctuations	(690)	(591)	(86)
Net sales	8,386	7,477	7,380
Revenue by country at actual foreign currency rates	8,386	7,477	7,376
Segment Reporting, Sales from Divested Businesses	0	0	4
Amortization expense	(545)	(495)	(438)
Operating income allocated to reportable segments	447	(327)	(301)
Other expense, net	(270)	(323)	(208)
Income (loss) before income taxes	177	(650)	(509)
Depreciation	(270)	(274)	(287)
Goodwill	6,678	6,473	5,898
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	5,883	6,194	5,606
TOTAL ASSETS	18,096	18,133
Long-Lived Assets	$ 14,191	14,157	13,011
Segment Reporting (Textuals) [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments | reportablesegments	3
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	$ 1,082	1,018	1,002
Net sales
Revenue by country at actual foreign currency rates	4,759	4,229	3,885
Japan [Member]
Net sales
Revenue by country at actual foreign currency rates	750	602	678
IRELAND
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	181	170	197
Other countries [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	367	302	308
Net sales
Revenue by country at actual foreign currency rates	2,877	2,646	2,813
Global Interventional Cardiology (IC) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	2,524	2,242	2,092
Corporate expenses and currency exchange [Member]
Net sales
Operating Income Unallocated to Segment	(565)	(486)	(308)
Depreciation	9	(9)	0
Special Charges [Member]
Net sales
Operating Income Unallocated to Segment	(1,029)	(1,502)	(1,357)
Global Peripheral Interventions (PI) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	1,093	975	861
Cardiovascular [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	3,617	3,217	2,953
Operating income allocated to reportable segments	1,137	972	767
Depreciation	(122)	(116)	(120)
Goodwill	3,513	3,451	3,426
TOTAL ASSETS	1,748	1,583
Global CRM Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	1,994	1,934	1,922
Global Electrophysiology (EP) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	261	248	228
Rhythm Management [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	2,255	2,182	2,150
Operating income allocated to reportable segments	404	328	289
Depreciation	(83)	(94)	(92)
Goodwill	290	292	290
TOTAL ASSETS	1,250	1,279
Global Endoscopy (Endo) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	1,565	1,422	1,343
Global Urology (Uro) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	1,065	735	542
Global Neuromodulation (NM) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	574	512	474
MedSurg [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	3,204	2,669	2,359
Operating income allocated to reportable segments	1,045	856	746
Depreciation	(74)	(73)	(75)
Goodwill	2,875	2,730	2,182
TOTAL ASSETS	1,499	1,141
Total allocated to reportable segments [Member]
Net sales
Operating income allocated to reportable segments	2,586	2,156	1,802
Depreciation	(279)	(283)	(287)
TOTAL ASSETS	4,497	4,003
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Net sales
TOTAL ASSETS	1,038	1,463
Interventional Cardiology [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	2,281	2,033	2,057
Cardiac Rhythm Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	1,850	1,807	1,912
Endoscopy [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	1,440	1,306	1,323
Peripheral Interventions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	1,011	904	850
Urology / Women's Health [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	1,005	693	535
Neuromodulation [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	556	501	472
Electrophysiology [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from core businesses	$ 243	$ 233	$ 227