Consolidated Statements of Preferred Stock and Stockholders' Equity (Deficit) - USD ($)		Total	Series A Preferred Stock [Member]	Series B Preferred Stock [Member]	Series B-1 Preferred Stock [Member]	Series B Non Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member]		Treasury Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	[1]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Member]
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012		$ (68,613,000)	$ 19,885,000	$ 40,016,000	$ 15,104,000		$ 1,000	[1]		$ 1,292,000		$ (69,906,000)
Balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2012			5,696,000	11,490,000	45,998,000		1,078,000	[1]
Accretion of issuance costs		(40,000)		$ 31,000	$ 9,000					(40,000)
Stock-based compensation		941,000								941,000
Exercise of stock options		54,000								54,000
Exercise of stock options, Shares	[1]						68,000
Exercise of warrants		90,000								90,000
Exercise of warrants, Shares	[1]						167,000
Reverse acquisition recapitalization adjustment		168,843,000	$ (19,885,000)	$ (40,047,000)	$ (15,113,000)		$ 33,000	[1]		168,810,000
Reverse acquisition recapitalization adjustment, Shares			(5,696,000)	(11,490,000)	(45,998,000)		32,444,000	[1]
Redemption of TransEnterix Surgical shares for cash to non-accredited investors		0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	[1]	$ 0	0		0	$ 0
Redemption of TransEnterix Surgical shares for cash to non-accredited investors, Shares	[1]						(54,000)
Conversion of preferred stock warrants to common stock warrants		1,909,000								1,909,000
Issuance of preferred stock		30,197,000				$ 30,197,000
Issuance of preferred stock, Shares						7,570,000
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock						$ (30,197,000)	$ 15,000	[1]		30,182,000
Net loss		(28,358,000)										(28,358,000)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2013		105,023,000					$ 49,000	[1]		203,238,000		(98,264,000)
Balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2013	[1]						48,842,000
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock, Shares						7,570,000	15,139,000	[1]
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock, Shares						(7,570,000)	(15,139,000)	[1]
Accretion of issuance costs		0
Stock-based compensation		1,840,000								1,840,000
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs		52,433,000					$ 14,000	[1]		52,419,000
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs, Shares	[1]						14,110,000
Exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units		75,000								75,000
Exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units, Shares	[1]						221,000
Exercise of warrants		16,000								16,000
Exercise of warrants, Shares	[1]						10,000
Issuance of warrants		54,000								54,000
Net loss		(37,652,000)										(37,652,000)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2014		121,789,000					$ 63,000	[1]		257,642,000		(135,916,000)
Balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2014	[1]						63,183,000
Accretion of issuance costs		0
Stock-based compensation		3,311,000								3,311,000
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs		$ 58,331,000					$ 21,000	[1]		58,310,000
Exercise of stock options, Shares		628,670
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs, Shares	[1]						20,756,000
Issuance of common stock, acquisition		$ 43,677,000					$ 15,000	[1]		43,662,000
Issuance of common stock, acquisition, Shares	[1]						15,543,000
Exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units		259,000					$ 1,000	[1]		258,000
Exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock units, Shares	[1]						698,000
Return of common stock to pay withholding taxes on restricted stock		(73,000)							$ (73,000)
Return of common stock to pay withholding taxes on restricted stock, Shares							(31,000)	[1]	31,000
Issuance of warrants		97,000								97,000
Other comprehensive loss		(3,166,000)											(3,166,000)
Net loss		(46,948,000)										(46,948,000)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015		$ 177,277,000					$ 100,000	[1]	$ (73,000)	$ 363,280,000		$ (182,864,000)	$ (3,166,000)
Balance, Shares at Dec. 31, 2015							100,149,000	[1]	31,000

[1] Adjusted for 1:5 reverse stock split on March 31, 2014.