Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Product Warranty Liability [Table Text Block]

	Year Ended December 31,
	2012			2011			2010
Beginning balance	$	30		$	43		$	55
Provision	8			9			15
Settlements/ reversals	(12		)	(22		)	(27		)
Ending balance	$	26		$	30		$	43

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

	As of December 31, 2012						As of December 31, 2011
(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	$	13	$	—	$	13	$	14			$	14
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	131		87		44		118		75		43
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	34		—		34		32				32
Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)	5		—		5		10				10
International Retirement Plans	85		43		42		75		40		35
	$	268	$	130	$	138	$	249	$	115	$	134

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	3.50	%			3.00%
Guidant Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.25	%	7.50%
Guidant Supplemental Retirement Plan (frozen)	4.00	%
Guidant Healthcare Retirement Benefit Plan (frozen)	1.75	%		5.00%
International Retirement Plans	1.00% - 4.00%		2.75% - 4.00%		3.00%

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

	Year Ended December 31,
(in millions)	2012			2011
Beginning fair value	$	115		$	113
Actual return on plan assets	11			—
Employer contributions	20			17
Benefits paid	(13		)	(13		)
Net transfers in (out)	—			(3		)
Foreign currency exchange	(3		)	1
Ending fair value	$	130		$	115