Segment and Geographic Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010
Segment and Geographic Information [Abstract]
Minimum number of countries in which the entity has operations	20				20
Number of reportable operating segments	three				three
Number of primary geographic regions	three				three
TSS product portfolio rationalization							$ 7,400,000
Restructuring charges and other	2,100,000				2,100,000		5,300,000
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	531,371,000		506,708,000		1,552,385,000		1,490,285,000
Total operating earnings	143,417,000		120,152,000		386,621,000		322,849,000
Non-allocated costs:
General headquarter expense	(15,748,000)	[1]	(12,194,000)	[1]	(42,469,000)	[1]	(35,555,000)	[1]
Share-based compensation	7,859,000		8,739,000		23,738,000		24,173,000
Merger-related expenses	(5,996,000)	[2]	0		(7,202,000)	[2]	0
LifeCell acquisition-related expenses	(8,856,000)	[3]	(8,809,000)	[3]	(26,567,000)	[3]	(29,437,000)	[3]
Total non-allocated costs	(38,459,000)		(29,742,000)		(99,976,000)		(89,165,000)
Americas [Member] | AHS [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	281,227,000		275,494,000		805,946,000		792,007,000
EMEA [Member] | AHS [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	73,852,000		71,505,000		217,947,000		219,029,000
APAC [Member] | AHS [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	17,029,000		11,393,000		46,725,000		28,035,000
AHS [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	372,108,000		358,392,000		1,070,618,000		1,039,071,000
Total operating earnings	154,442,000		122,827,000		397,631,000		340,108,000
Americas [Member] | LifeCell [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	94,507,000		83,213,000		278,012,000		243,375,000
EMEA [Member] | LifeCell [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	2,934,000		1,722,000		8,773,000		4,318,000
LifeCell [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	97,441,000		84,935,000		286,785,000		247,693,000
Total operating earnings	27,511,000		24,561,000		80,424,000		66,432,000
Americas [Member] | TSS [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	37,687,000		41,788,000		123,206,000		134,751,000
EMEA [Member] | TSS [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	23,888,000		21,056,000		70,949,000		67,509,000
APAC [Member] | TSS [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	247,000		537,000		827,000		1,261,000
TSS [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	61,822,000		63,381,000		194,982,000		203,521,000
Total operating earnings	(77,000)		2,506,000		8,542,000		5,474,000	[4]
Non-allocated costs [Member]
Non-allocated costs:
Share-based compensation	$ (7,859,000)		$ (8,739,000)		$ (23,738,000)		$ (24,173,000)

[1] Includes restructuring charges of $2.1 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 and $5.3 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2010.

[2] Represents expenses related to KCI's pending merger.

[3] Includes amortization of acquired intangible assets and costs to retain key employees related to our purchase of LifeCell in May 2008.

[4] Includes $7.4 million of expenses associated with the TSS product portfolio rationalization recorded in the second quarter of 2010.