Significant Accounting Policies Significant Accounting Policies (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) reportablesegments	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) reportablesegments	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) reportablesegments	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Increase in cash provided by operating activities from adoption of ASU 2016-18	$ 537,000,000	$ 210,000,000	$ 46,000,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents, at Carrying Value	188,000,000	196,000,000	319,000,000
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents	1,017,000,000	487,000,000	400,000,000	$ 623,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Service Cost	17,000,000	10,000,000
Available-for-sale Securities	15,000,000	20,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Benefit Obligation	189,000,000	140,000,000
Pension termination charges	$ 0	$ 0	$ 44,000,000
Number of Reportable Segments | reportablesegments	3
Number of global reporting units | reportablesegments	7	7	7
International Retirement Plan - Discount Rate - Low	0.50%
International Retirement Plan - Expected Return on Plan Assets - Low	2.50%
International Retirement Plan - Discount Rate - High	2.25%
Executive Retirement Plan Discount Rate	3.25%
Expense related to matching contributions	$ 79,000,000	$ 72,000,000	$ 69,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	207,000,000	152,000,000	131,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Acquired and Established Plan Changes, Plan Assets	33,000,000
Defined benefit plan, acquired and established plans	19,000,000	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	87,000,000	54,000,000	52,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Return on Plan Assets	6,000,000	(1,000,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer	10,000,000	7,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants	1,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	(8,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefits Paid	(8,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Defined Benefit Plan, Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Changes, Benefit Obligation	4,000,000	1,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	120,000,000	98,000,000
Shipping, Handling and Transportation Costs	$ 110,000,000	$ 101,000,000	93,000,000
Percent of finished goods at consignment	40.00%	40.00%
Valuation Allowances and Reserves, Deductions	$ (18,000,000)	$ (11,000,000)	(16,000,000)
Depreciation	$ 279,000,000	$ 270,000,000	$ 274,000,000
Executive Retirement Plan Rate of Compensation Increase	3.00%
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan Discount Rate	3.50%
International Retirement Plan - Expected Return on Plan Assets - High	4.10%
Concentration Risk, Customer	0	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Actuarial Gain (Loss)	$ 2,000,000	$ 10,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Plan Amendments	(1,000,000)	7,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Changes, Plan Assets	11,000,000	(1,000,000)
Increase in cash provided by operating activities due to adoption of ASU 2016-15			$ 45,000,000
Executive retirement plan [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Benefit Obligation	18,000,000	15,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	21,000,000	17,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	21,000,000	17,000,000
Guidant supplement retirement plan [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Benefit Obligation	33,000,000	32,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	33,000,000	32,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	0	0
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	33,000,000	32,000,000
International retirement plans [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Accumulated Benefit Obligation	138,000,000	93,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation	153,000,000	103,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets	87,000,000	54,000,000
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Balance Sheet	$ 66,000,000	49,000,000
Minimum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
International Retirement Plan Rate of Compensation Increase	1.50%
Minimum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	3 years
Minimum [Member] | Patents [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	2 years
Minimum [Member] | Technology-related [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	5 years
Maximum [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
International Retirement Plan Rate of Compensation Increase	6.78%
Maximum [Member] | Building and Building Improvements [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	40 years
Maximum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life	7 years
Maximum [Member] | Patents [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	20 years
Maximum [Member] | Technology-related [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	25 years
Other Current Assets [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 803,000,000	269,000,000	68,000,000
Other Long Term Assets [Member]
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 26,000,000	$ 22,000,000	$ 14,000,000