Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
	2011			2010			2009
Beginning balance	$	43		$	55		$	62
Provision	9			15			29
Settlements/ reversals	(22		)	(27		)	(36		)
Ending balance	$	30		$	43		$	55

Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	As of December 31, 2011						As of December 31, 2010
(in millions)	Projected Benefit Obligation (PBO)		Fair value of Plan Assets		Underfunded PBO Recognized		Projected Benefit Obligation (PBO)		Fair value of Plan Assets		Underfunded PBO Recognized
Executive Retirement Plan	$	14			$	14	$	11			$	11
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	118		$	75	43		101		$	77	24
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	32				32		30				30
Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)	10				10		10				10
International Retirement Plans	75		40		35		72		36		36
	$	249	$	115	$	134	$	224	$	113	$	111

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

			Long-Term Healthcare	Rate of
	Discount Rate	Expected Return on Plan Assets	Cost Trend Rate	Compensation Increase
Executive Retirement Plan	4.50%			3.00%
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	5.00%	7.50%
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.75%
Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)	4.25%		5.00%
International Retirement Plans	1.25% - 5.20%	2.50% - 4.10%		3.00%

Schedule of Changes in Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)	2011			2010
Beginning fair value	$	113		$	96
Actual return on plan assets	—			8
Employer contributions	17			19
Benefits paid	(13		)	(14		)
Net transfers in (out)	(3		)	1
Foreign currency exchange	1			3
Ending fair value	$	115		$	113