Name:	ew_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentFirstLevel
Namespace Prefix:	ew_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Percentage employer matches for the first level of the employee's percentage contribution matched.

No definition available.

Name:	ew_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentOfMatchFirstLevel
Namespace Prefix:	ew_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Percentage employer matches for the second level of the employee's percentage contribution matched.

No definition available.

Name:	ew_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentOfMatchSecondLevel
Namespace Prefix:	ew_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Represents the percentage of the second level of employees' gross pay for which the employer contributes a matching contribution to a defined contribution plan.

No definition available.

Name:	ew_DefinedContributionPlanEmployerMatchingContributionPercentSecondLevel
Namespace Prefix:	ew_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

For a defined contribution plan, the percent of the participant's eligible compensation that the employer will contribute to the profit sharing plan.

No definition available.

Name:	ew_DefinedContributionPlanProfitSharingContributionRate
Namespace Prefix:	ew_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Aggregate carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the liabilities for all deferred compensation arrangements. Represents currently earned compensation under compensation arrangements that is not actually paid until a later date.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityCurrentAndNoncurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of actuarial present value of benefits attributed to employee service rendered, excluding assumptions about future compensation level.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedBenefitObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of contribution expected to be received by defined benefit plan from employer in next fiscal year following current fiscal year.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (g)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118255775&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118257860&loc=d3e4587-114921

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureEmployerContributionsNextFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Amount of cost for defined contribution plan.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 70
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170846&loc=d3e28014-114942

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Maximum percentage of employee gross pay the employee may contribute to a defined contribution plan.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanMaximumAnnualContributionsPerEmployeePercent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanTypeAxis=us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanNameAxis=ew_NonqualifiedDeferredCompensationPlanSelectEmployeeGroupMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanSponsorLocationAxis=country_US
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: