Acquisitions and Strategic Investments (Details) £ / shares in Units, $ / shares in Units, £ in Millions, $ in Millions												12 Months Ended
	Jan. 21, 2021 USD ($)	Aug. 21, 2019 USD ($)	Aug. 19, 2019 USD ($)	Aug. 19, 2019 GBP (£) £ / shares	Jun. 11, 2019 USD ($)	Jan. 29, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 16, 2018 USD ($)	Aug. 02, 2018 USD ($)	Jul. 05, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Apr. 16, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Aug. 19, 2019 $ / shares
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Proceeds from divestiture of certain businesses												$ 15	$ 90	$ 0
Proceeds from royalty rights transfer												0	256	0
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability												196	354	347
Goodwill												9,951	10,176	7,911
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High												532
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired												3	4,382	1,448
Fair value of contingent consideration												(196)	(354)	(347)
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain														184
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Specialty Pharmaceuticals [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Consideration												800
Specialty Pharmaceuticals [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill												0	$ 247	0
BTG Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Share Price | (per share)				£ 8.40											$ 10.20
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross			$ 4,023	£ 3,312
Cash Acquired from Acquisition			$ 404
Proceeds from royalty rights transfer												256
Goodwill												1,635
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Receivables												108
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Inventory												232
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets												252
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												1,785
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Assets												538
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Liabilities												(308)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Noncurrent Liabilities												274
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities												(349)
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination												3,619
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Global Peripheral Interventions (PI) Reporting Unit [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill												1,399
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Specialty Pharmaceuticals [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill												236
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												$ 1,709
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												11.00%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												10 years
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												12.00%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												18 years
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												$ 75
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												2 years
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												11 years
BTG Acquisition [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member] | Weighted Average (Member)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												11.00%
Divested Business due to BTG Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Proceeds from divestiture of certain businesses		$ 90
Guarantees, Fair Value Disclosure		16
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted		$ 200
Vertiflex, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross					$ 465
Contingent consideration payments made to prior shareholders to date												$ 20
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, Low					0
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High					$ 100
Millipede [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross						$ 325
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage						20.00%
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred						$ 90
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High						$ 125
2019 Acquisitions (Vertiflex and Millipede)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability												127
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value												102
Goodwill												577
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												220
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets												240
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets												24
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities												(12)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities												(58)
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination												992
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill												461
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired												763
Fair value of contingent consideration												(127)
2019 Acquisitions (Vertiflex and Millipede) | In Process Research and Development [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets												$ 240
2019 Acquisitions (Vertiflex and Millipede) | In Process Research and Development [Member] | Weighted Average (Member)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												19.00%
2019 Acquisitions (Vertiflex and Millipede) | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												$ 210
2019 Acquisitions (Vertiflex and Millipede) | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member] | Weighted Average (Member)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												15.00%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												12 years
2019 Acquisitions (Vertiflex and Millipede) | Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												$ 10
2019 Acquisitions (Vertiflex and Millipede) | Other Intangible Assets [Member] | Weighted Average (Member)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												15.00%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												12 years
Augmenix, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross							$ 500
Contingent consideration payments made to prior shareholders to date												$ 24
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High							$ 100
Claret Medical, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross								$ 220
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High								$ 50
Cryterion Medical, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross									$ 202
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage									35.00%
NxThera, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross										$ 240
Contingent consideration payments made to prior shareholders to date												12
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High										$ 85
nVision Medical Corporation [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross											$ 150
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High											$ 125
Other 2018 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross														158
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High														$ 62
2018 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability												248
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value												251
Goodwill												939
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												939
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets												213
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets												38
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities												(19)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities												(162)
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination												1,948
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill												1,153
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired												1,449
Fair value of contingent consideration												(248)
2018 Acquisitions [Member] | In Process Research and Development [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets												$ 213
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												15.00%
2018 Acquisitions [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												$ 908
2018 Acquisitions [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												14.00%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												6 years
2018 Acquisitions [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												23.00%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												14 years
2018 Acquisitions [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												$ 31
2018 Acquisitions [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												13.00%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												6 years
2018 Acquisitions [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input												15.00%
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												13 years
Preventice Solutions, Inc. [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage	22.00%
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High	$ 230
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	$ 720