Segment Reporting (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) reportablesegments	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	$ 1,981	$ 1,869	$ 3,872	$ 3,647
Segment Reporting, Sales from Divested Businesses	0	1	0	3
Impact of foreign currency fluctuations	(138)	3	(261)	(3)
Net sales	1,843	1,873	3,611	3,647
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	513	435	993	840
Amortization expense	(116)	(109)	(229)	(218)
Operating (loss) income allocated to reportable segments	219	(69)	243	128
Other expense, net	(114)	(35)	(189)	(86)
Income (loss) before income taxes	105	(104)	$ 54	42
Segment Reporting (Textuals) [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments | reportablesegments			3
Global Interventional Cardiology (IC) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	567	528	$ 1,108	1,029
Global Peripheral Interventions (PI) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	245	210	477	414
Cardiovascular [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	812	738	1,585	1,443
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	247	193	483	364
Global CRM Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	490	495	973	959
Global Electrophysiology (EP) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	60	55	121	113
Rhythm Management [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	550	550	1,094	1,072
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	78	67	155	133
Global Endoscopy (Endo) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	352	334	680	650
Global Urology (Uro) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	142	133	272	259
Global Neuromodulation (NM) Reporting Unit [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	125	114	241	223
MedSurg [Member]
Net sales
Net sales allocated to reportable segments	619	581	1,193	1,132
Operating Income Allocated to Reportable Segments	188	175	355	343
Corporate expenses and currency exchange [Member]
Net sales
Operating (Loss) Income Unallocated to Segment	(105)	(64)	(188)	(115)
Special Charges [Member]
Net sales
Operating (Loss) Income Unallocated to Segment	$ (73)	$ (331)	$ (333)	$ (379)