ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURE AND PRO FORMA RESULTS (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands								1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	10 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2017 USD ($)	May 25, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2017 USD ($)	Feb. 24, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 15, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 02, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 17, 2015 USD ($) acquisition	Oct. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Oct. 06, 2017 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amount drawn from loan																						$ 1,307,000	$ 680,000	$ 545,000
Realized loss, included in other income, net																			$ 2,300
Deferred tax assets, other											$ 3,077				$ 128					$ 3,077	$ 3,077	3,077	128
Payment for contingent consideration																						4,661	0	0
Gain recognized, amount																						0	0	1,111
Number of businesses acquired | acquisition							2
Cash used in business acquisition, net of cash acquired																						1,241,946	(225)	328,888
Contingent consideration, received from escrow										$ 1,200
Increase in fair value of contingent receivable																						1,600	1,300
Net income (loss)											44,355	$ 3,159	$ 10,835	$ 6,394	28,246	$ 20,144	$ 12,755	$ 13,419				64,743	74,564	(3,519)
Interest Expense, Intangible Asset Amortization, and External Expenses Related to Acquisition
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net income (loss)																						$ 24,900
Product Concentration Risk | BioD Morselized Amniotic Membrane Based Products
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenue from product, Percentage																						1.00%
Derma Sciences | Interest Expense, Intangible Asset Amortization, and External Expenses Related to Acquisition
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net income (loss)																						$ 2,900
Codman Specialty Surgical
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Aggregate purchase price received																									$ 46,400
Assets provided upon termination of transitional supply agreement liability											1,300									1,300	1,300	1,300
Codman Specialty Surgical | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Gain on sale of business, included in other income, net																						2,600
Term loan A-1 | Secured Debt
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amount drawn from loan								$ 700,000
Codman
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred	$ 1,014,000
Write off of construction in progress																						6,300
Revenue since acquisition date																						76,900
Net assets acquired											1,014,091									1,014,091	1,014,091	1,014,091
Codman | Term loan A-1 | Secured Debt
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Amount drawn from loan	$ 700,000
TGX Medical
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred			$ 5,400
Revenue since acquisition date																				600
Business combination, cash acquired											49									49	49	49
Net assets acquired											5,367									5,367	5,367	5,367
Derma Sciences
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred				$ 210,800
Revenue since acquisition date																					84,600
Payment of closing expenses				4,800
Payment of stock plan settlement				4,300
Payments to acquire business				$ 201,700
Preliminary purchase price allocation adjustment													1,700
Adjustment to purchase price and goodwill												$ 300
Deferred taxes											14,524									14,524	14,524	14,524
Deferred tax assets, operating loss carryforwards											39,700									39,700	39,700	39,700
Deferred tax assets, goodwill and intangible assets											16,400									16,400	16,400	16,400
Deferred tax liabilities, intangible assets											41,100									41,100	41,100	41,100
Deferred tax assets, other											500									500	500	500
Adjustment, deferred tax assets											3,300		1,500						$ 1,500	3,300	3,300	3,300
Business combination, cash acquired											16,512									16,512	16,512	16,512
Net assets acquired											210,478									210,478	210,478	210,478
Derma Sciences | BioD Earnout Payments
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenue volatility				13.50%
Discount rate				3.00%
Contingent consideration arrangements, maximum payout				$ 26,500
Contingent consideration, liability				$ 9,100							300									300	300	300
Payment for contingent consideration									$ 4,800
Fair Value, Measurement with Unobservable Inputs Reconciliation, Recurring Basis, Liability, Gain (Loss) Included in Earnings																						4,000
Derma Sciences | Product Payment Contingent Consideration
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Discount rate				2.50%
Contingent consideration arrangements, maximum payout				$ 29,700
Contingent consideration, liability				$ 26,800
Product payment probability rate				98.00%
Change in fair value of contingent consideration													$ 900
Payment for contingent consideration liability		$ 26,600
Derma Sciences | Medihoney Earnout Payments
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenue volatility				27.50%
Discount rate				4.50%
Contingent consideration arrangements, maximum payout				$ 5,000
Contingent consideration, liability				$ 1,400							1,400									1,400	1,400	1,400
Tekmed
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred					$ 14,100
Net assets acquired											14,103									14,103	14,103	14,103
Salto and Futura
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to acquire business						$ 6,000
Net assets acquired											7,111									7,111	7,111	7,111
Salto and Futura | Other Income
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Gain recognized, amount																								$ 1,100
TEI
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred							$ 312,200
Adjustment to purchase price and goodwill							$ 200																(174)
Discount rate							11.00%
Cash used in business acquisition, net of cash acquired							$ 312,400
Business combination, cash acquired							1,200
Contingent receivable							400				$ 2,000				1,700					$ 2,000	$ 2,000	$ 2,000	1,700
Contingent consideration, asset, revenue threshold to realize asset							6,000
TEI | Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent receivable															1,200								1,200
TEI | Other assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent receivable															$ 500								$ 500
TEI Biosciences Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred							210,900
Adjustment to purchase price and goodwill							500
TEI Medical Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred							101,300
Adjustment to purchase price and goodwill							$ 700