Segment information - additional information (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
	Apr. 01, 2015 segment	Mar. 27, 2016 USD ($) segment market	Mar. 29, 2015 USD ($)
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Number of operating segments | segment		6
Number of end markets | market		2,000
Revenue		$ 424,893	$ 429,430
Operating profit		67,497	65,608
Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit		90,072	83,654
Unallocated expenses
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit		(22,575)	(18,046)
Anesthesia North America and Respiratory North America
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Number of operating segments as result of split | segment	2
Vascular North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue		81,588	80,766
Operating profit		19,656	15,750
Anesthesia North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue		45,957	45,449
Operating profit		12,177	9,960
Surgical North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue		38,941	38,059
Operating profit		13,256	12,327
EMEA | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue		122,095	129,282
Operating profit		21,043	26,335
Asia | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue		49,156	48,529
Operating profit		13,008	8,146
OEM | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue		33,977	34,715
Operating profit		5,189	8,043
All other | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue		53,179	52,630
Operating profit		$ 5,743	$ 3,093