Additional payment for acquisition at our company's option.

No definition available.

Name:	stj_AdditionalPaymentForAcquisitionAtCompanyOption
Namespace Prefix:	stj_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Equity Interest, Total Ownership Percentage By All Other Investors

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	stj_EquityInterestTotalOwnershipPercentageByAllOtherInvestors
Namespace Prefix:	stj_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Equity security ownership interest.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	stj_EquitySecurityOwnershipInterest
Namespace Prefix:	stj_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Equity security ownership interest and allocated value for purchase option.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	stj_EquitySecurityOwnershipInterestAndAllocatedValueForPurchaseOption
Namespace Prefix:	stj_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For contingent consideration arrangements recognized in connection with a business combination, this element represents an estimate of the high-end of the potential range (undiscounted) of the consideration which may be paid.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7488404&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of liability recognized arising from contingent consideration in a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 35

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph b

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911338&loc=d3e6819-128478

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 30

-Section 25

-Paragraph 6

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911189&loc=d3e6408-128476

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount recognized for assets, including goodwill, in excess of (less than) the aggregate liabilities assumed.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910749&loc=d3e4845-128472

+ Details

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

- Definition

In a business combination achieved in stages, this element represents the amount of loss recognized by the entity as a result of remeasuring to fair value the equity interest in the acquiree it held before the business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

Fair value of financial instrument classified as a liability measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 820

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25499696&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

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

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of a business, net of the cash acquired from the purchase.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Investing Activities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 230

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 13

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of financial or other support the reporting entity has provided (explicitly or implicitly) to the Variable Interest Entity (VIE) that it was not previously contractually required to provide or that the reporting entity intends to provide, including, for example, situations in which the reporting entity assisted the VIE in obtaining another type of support.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5A

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=SL6759159-111685

+ Details

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

Business Combinations Business Combinations (Narrative) (Details) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended
	Dec. 28, 2013 USD ($)	Mar. 29, 2014 Contingent Consideration Liability [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2013 Contingent Consideration Liability [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2013 Spinal Modulation [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 07, 2013 Spinal Modulation [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 28, 2013 CardioMEMS, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 30, 2013 CardioMEMS, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 27, 2013 CardioMEMS, Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2013 Endosense S.A. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2013 Endosense S.A. [Member] CHF	Mar. 29, 2014 Endosense S.A. [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 19, 2013 Endosense S.A. [Member] USD ($)	Aug. 19, 2013 Endosense S.A. [Member] CHF	Mar. 29, 2014 Endosense S.A. [Member] Contingent Consideration Liability [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 28, 2013 Nanostim [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 11, 2013 Nanostim [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 28, 2013 Nanostim [Member]	Mar. 29, 2014 Nanostim [Member] Contingent Consideration Liability [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] USD ($)
Net cash consideration	$ 292								$ 171	160					$ 121
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High											169		150			65
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability	188											132				56
Net assets acquired	513											303				210
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliations, Recurring Basis, Liability Value		198	195											141				57
Equity Security Ownership Interest And Allocated Value For Purchase Option	33				40			60				0				33
Equity Security Ownership Interest					19.00%			19.00%								18.00%
Equity Interest, Total Ownership Percentage By All Other Investors																	82.00%
Additional Payment For Acquisition At Company Option					300			375
Variable Interest Entity, Financial or Other Support, Amount				15		9	28
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Loss							$ 29