Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			78 Months Ended
	Feb. 13, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014 claims patents	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014 lawsuits claims patents	Feb. 24, 2015 claims
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Value		$ 308,000,000
Accrual for legal matters that are probable and estimable			1,577,000,000	607,000,000		1,577,000,000
Litigation-related charges			1,036,000,000	221,000,000	192,000,000
Product liability lawsuits related to defibrillators or pacemakers			30			30
Suits Pending Against Guidant in Canada and Filed as Class Actions			6			6
Suits Pending Against Guidant in Canada, Pending Outcome of Two Lead Class Actions			4			4
Loss Contingency, Settlement Agreement, Consideration			3,000,000			3,000,000
Loss Contingency, Number of Defendants						92
Initial GI stent patents allegedly infringed (Pulnev and Hankh patents)			3			3
Additional Pulnev patents added to infringement suit			6			6
Individual Lawsuits Pending in Various State and Federal Jurisdictions Against Guidant			10			10
Minimum damages for Guidant breach of Merger Agreement			5,500,000,000
Total Amount Payable To Johnson And Johnson per Settlement Agreement	$ 600,000,000
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product assigned to one judge in state court in Massachusetts							2,500
Putative class actions in Canada, Mesh							3
Subsequent Event [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Putative class actions in the U.S., Mesh							8
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product							25,000
Product liability cases or claims in Canada, Mesh							20
Product liability cases or claims related to mesh product - United Kingdom							10