Basis Of Presentation	3 Months Ended
Apr. 04, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis Of Presentation	BASIS OF PRESENTATION Principles of Consolidation: The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of St. Jude Medical, Inc. (St. Jude Medical or the Company) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. generally accepted accounting principles) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, these statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at January 3, 2015 was derived from audited annual financial statements, but does not contain all of the footnote disclosures from the annual financial statements. Operating results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. Preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and footnotes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2015. The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries for which St. Jude Medical has a controlling financial interest and variable interest entities (VIEs) where St. Jude Medical is the primary beneficiary. The Company operates as a single operating segment and derives its revenues from six principal product categories. Fiscal Year: We utilize a 52/53-week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest December 31st. Each of the three-month periods ended April 4, 2015 and March 29, 2014 included 13 weeks. Reclassifications: Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation. New Accounting Pronouncements: In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09 (ASU 2014-09), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance will supersede the current revenue recognition requirements. The amendments in ASU 2014-09 are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. We are evaluating our approach to the adoption and the potential impact to our results of operations and financial position. The Company will adopt the new guidance beginning in fiscal year 2017. In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02 (ASU 2015-02), Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis, which affects both the variable interest entity and voting interest entity consolidation models. The amendments in ASU 2015-02 are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is, however, permitted. The Company is evaluating its approach to the adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial position. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03 (ASU 2015-03), Interest-Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The amendments in ASU 2015-03 are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with retrospective application required. Early adoption is, however, permitted. The Company is evaluating the timing of adoption and the potential impact to its financial position. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-04 (ASU 2015-04), Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Practical Expedient for the Measurement Date of an Employer’s Defined Benefit Obligation and Plan Assets, which permits entities to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations using the month-end that is closest to the entity’s fiscal year-end and apply that practical expedient consistently from year to year. The amendments in ASU 2015-04 are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with prospective application required. Early adoption is, however, permitted. The Company plans to elect the accounting policy prospectively in accordance with ASU 2015-04 by using December 31 when it performs its measurements as of January 2, 2016 and for all fiscal years thereafter. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05 (ASU 2015-05), Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement, which provides guidance to customers about how to account for cloud computing arrangements when such arrangements include software licenses. The amendments in ASU 2015-05 are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with either retrospective application or prospective transition permitted. Early adoption is, however, permitted. The Company is evaluating the timing of adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial condition.

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Principles of Consolidation: The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of St. Jude Medical, Inc. (St. Jude Medical or the Company) have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. generally accepted accounting principles) for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, these statements include all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair statement of the Company’s consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows. The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at January 3, 2015 was derived from audited annual financial statements, but does not contain all of the footnote disclosures from the annual financial statements. Operating results for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. Preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the financial statements and footnotes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2015.

The unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries for which St. Jude Medical has a controlling financial interest and variable interest entities (VIEs) where St. Jude Medical is the primary beneficiary. The Company operates as a single operating segment and derives its revenues from six principal product categories.

Fiscal Year: We utilize a 52/53-week fiscal year ending on the Saturday nearest December 31st. Each of the three-month periods ended April 4, 2015 and March 29, 2014 included 13 weeks.

Reclassifications: Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.

New Accounting Pronouncements: In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09 (ASU 2014-09), Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which requires an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance will supersede the current revenue recognition requirements. The amendments in ASU 2014-09 are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. We are evaluating our approach to the adoption and the potential impact to our results of operations and financial position. The Company will adopt the new guidance beginning in fiscal year 2017.

In February 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-02 (ASU 2015-02), Consolidation (Topic 810): Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis, which affects both the variable interest entity and voting interest entity consolidation models. The amendments in ASU 2015-02 are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is, however, permitted. The Company is evaluating its approach to the adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial position.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03 (ASU 2015-03), Interest-Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The amendments in ASU 2015-03 are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with retrospective application required. Early adoption is, however, permitted. The Company is evaluating the timing of adoption and the potential impact to its financial position.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-04 (ASU 2015-04), Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Practical Expedient for the Measurement Date of an Employer’s Defined Benefit Obligation and Plan Assets, which permits entities to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations using the month-end that is closest to the entity’s fiscal year-end and apply that practical expedient consistently from year to year. The amendments in ASU 2015-04 are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with prospective application required. Early adoption is, however, permitted. The Company plans to elect the accounting policy prospectively in accordance with ASU 2015-04 by using December 31 when it performs its measurements as of January 2, 2016 and for all fiscal years thereafter. The Company does not expect the adoption of this ASU to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05 (ASU 2015-05), Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement, which provides guidance to customers about how to account for cloud computing arrangements when such arrangements include software licenses. The amendments in ASU 2015-05 are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with either retrospective application or prospective transition permitted. Early adoption is, however, permitted. The Company is evaluating the timing of adoption and the potential impact to its results of operations and financial condition.