Acquisitions and Strategic Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 12, 2016	Nov. 22, 2016	Nov. 15, 2016	Nov. 01, 2016	Jul. 27, 2016	Aug. 03, 2015	Apr. 02, 2015	Aug. 29, 2014	May 07, 2014	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount											$ 116	$ 449	$ 160
Equity Method Investments										$ 265	173
Contingent consideration expense										29	123	(85)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired										408	1,734	486
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Asset										204	246	274
Maximum future contingent consideration for acquisitions completed after January 1, 2009										1,308
Contingent consideration recognized in the period										50	63
Adjustments to accrued contingent consideration										1	(1)
Contingent payment related to business combination										(122)	(213)
Goodwill										6,678	6,473	5,898
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												263
Total												510
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value												31
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Change in Amount of Contingent Consideration, Liability										29	123	(85)
Payment of contingent consideration										122	213	137
Cost Method Investments										20	45
Notes receivable from portfolio companies										42	30
Equity Method Investment, Difference Between Carrying Amount and Underlying Equity										200
2015 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											1,735
Goodwill											573
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles											1,074
Indefinite-lived intangible assets											6
Total											1,798
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Inventory											103
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment											43
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets											42
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net											1,080
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Assets, Current											(43)
Contingent consideration recognized in the period											63
Neovasc [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	$ 68
Distal [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			$ 20
Potential payments based on acheiving certain milestones			$ 35
LumenR [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired				$ 30
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Potential payments based on future sales				$ 70
Cosman [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired					$ 71
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Potential payments based on future sales					$ 20
EndoChoice [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		$ 214
Business Acquisition, Share Price		$ 8.00
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred		$ 43
Celenova [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											70
Xlumena [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired							$ 63
Potential payments based on acheiving certain milestones							$ 13
Other 2015 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											6
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Asset											1
AMS urology portfolio [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired						$ 1,616
Potential payments based on acheiving certain milestones						50
Non-voting Preferred Stock Investment Amount						$ 60
Bayer and IoGyn [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired												479
Goodwill												210
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles												263
Total												510
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Inventory												23
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment												17
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Current Assets, Prepaid Expense and Other Assets												5
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net												(1)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Assets, Current												(7)
Bayer [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired								$ 414
IoGyn [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired									$ 65
Remaining equity of IoGyn purchased									72.00%
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain												19
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value												31
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Minority interest owned of IoGyn									28.00%
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred									$ 8
2014 acquisitions (excluding Bayer and IoGyn) [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired												7
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Asset												4
2016 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired										366
Goodwill										208
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles										228
Total										459
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Other Noncurrent Assets										(2)
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Liabilities Incurred										43
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Inventory										11
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment										6
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Net										228
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Assets, Current										(8)
Contingent consideration recognized in the period										50
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred										459
R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration										$ (46)
R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration										2.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment										2017
R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration										3.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment										2021
Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired										$ 176	$ 431	$ 233
Technology-related [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life										9 years	11 years	10 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation										11.00%	14.00%	14.00%
Technology-related [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life										13 years	13 years	14 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation										20.00%	23.00%	18.00%
Customer Relationships [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired										$ 51	$ 625	$ 29
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												10 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation												18.00%
Customer Relationships [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life										9 years	12 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation										11.00%	14.00%
Customer Relationships [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life										13 years	13 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation										12.00%	15.00%
Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired										$ 1	$ 18	$ 1
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life												2 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation												14.00%
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | 2015 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life										4 years	13 years
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation											14.00%
Other Intangible Assets [Member] | 2016 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation										11.00%
Purchased research and development [Member] | 2015 Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Range of Risk Adjusted Discount Rates used in Purchase Price Allocation											17.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
In-Process Research and Development Acquired											$ 6
Discounted cash flow [Member] | R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment										2017
Discounted cash flow [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration										$ (60)
Discounted cash flow [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration										11.00%
Discounted cash flow [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Additional Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Risk-adjusted discount rate for contingent consideration										15.00%
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment										2026
Monte Carlo [Member] | R&D- and commercialization-based milestones [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment										2017
Monte Carlo [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value of contingent consideration										$ (98)
Monte Carlo [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
Revenue Volatility - Contingent Consideration										25.00%
Monte Carlo [Member] | revenue-based payments [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Acquisitions (Textuals) [Abstract]
contingent consideration liability, projected year of payment										2022