Acquisitions (Details) $ in Millions						3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Oct. 06, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 21, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 01, 2021 USD ($)	Aug. 06, 2021 USD ($)	Mar. 01, 2021 USD ($) units	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2021 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2021 USD ($) business	Sep. 30, 2020 USD ($) business	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of Businesses Acquired | business								3	0
Number Of Businesses Divested | business								1	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired								$ 2,014	$ 3
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability						$ 448		448		$ 196
Goodwill						11,820		11,820		$ 9,951
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal								48	$ 0
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale or Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Specialty Pharmaceuticals [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Consideration					$ 800
Transfer of facilities | units					5
Divestiture, agreement, transfer of global employees | units					280
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Gain (Loss) on Disposal								9
Preventice
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination					$ 925
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High, Including Prior Interest					$ 300
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage					22.00%
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain							$ 195
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired					$ 706			706
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High					$ 230
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability						221		221
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value								269
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination						1,197		1,197
Goodwill						926		926
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						237		237
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets						65		65
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities						(32)		(32)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill						237		237
Preventice | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						215		$ 215
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life								9 years
Preventice | Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						$ 22		$ 22
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life								8 years
Preventice | Weighted Average [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input						10.00%		10.00%
Preventice | Weighted Average [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input						10.00%		10.00%
Lumenis
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			$ 1,039					$ 1,039
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability						$ 0		0
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value								0
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination						1,039		1,039
Goodwill						582		582
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						459		459
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets						115		115
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities						(86)		(86)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities						(32)		(32)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill						459		459
Lumenis | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						417		$ 417
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life								14 years
Lumenis | Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						$ 42		$ 42
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life								13 years
Lumenis | Weighted Average [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input						11.00%		11.00%
Lumenis | Weighted Average [Member] | Other Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input						11.00%		11.00%
Farapulse
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination				$ 450
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High, Including Prior Interest				$ 125
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage				27.00%
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Remeasurement Gain						$ 222
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired						268		$ 268
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High						92		92
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Additional Revenue Payments, Period				3 years
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability						162		162
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value								222
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination						653		653
Goodwill						386		386
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						267		267
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets						43		43
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets						9		9
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities						(10)		(10)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities						(43)		(43)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Intangible Assets, Other than Goodwill						310		310
Farapulse | In Process Research and Development [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets						43		43
Farapulse | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						$ 267		$ 267
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life								12 years
Farapulse | Weighted Average [Member] | In Process Research and Development [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input						17.00%		17.00%
Farapulse | Weighted Average [Member] | Technology-Based Intangible Assets [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount Rate, Fair Value Input						16.00%		16.00%
2021 Acquisitions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired								$ 2,014
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High						$ 919		919
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability						384		384
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Fair Value								491
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Including Equity Interest in Acquiree Held Prior to Combination						2,889		2,889
Goodwill						1,894		1,894
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Finite-Lived Intangibles						964		964
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets						43		43
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Other Noncurrent Assets						190		190
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Liabilities						(127)		(127)
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Deferred Tax Liabilities						$ (74)		$ (74)
Baylis | Subsequent Event [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross	$ 1,750
Devoro
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross		$ 320
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High, Including Prior Interest		$ 80
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage		16.00%
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		$ 269
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration Arrangements, Range of Outcomes, Value, High		$ 67