Segment information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 25, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 27, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 25, 2016 USD ($) segment market	Sep. 27, 2015 USD ($)
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Number of reportable operating segments | segment			6
Number of end markets | market			2,000
Revenue	$ 455,648	$ 443,714	$ 1,354,094	$ 1,325,189
Operating profit	86,487	76,550	252,425	219,144
Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	98,078	95,865	299,888	275,838
Unallocated expenses
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	(11,591)	(19,315)	(47,463)	(56,694)
Vascular North America
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	85,118	82,675	254,817	244,606
Vascular North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	21,781	18,086	63,431	50,891
Anesthesia North America
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	48,670	47,628	143,821	138,656
Anesthesia North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	13,954	15,178	41,181	36,572
Surgical North America
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	41,827	39,591	123,904	118,170
Surgical North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	14,050	12,814	39,654	39,456
EMEA
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	121,398	120,854	375,198	379,268
EMEA | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	16,576	19,656	61,563	65,334
Asia
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	64,087	61,935	176,434	172,506
Asia | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	18,072	15,715	52,831	42,812
OEM
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	41,418	38,959	115,693	111,592
OEM | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	10,201	8,865	24,605	25,274
All other
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	53,130	52,072	164,227	160,391
All other | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	$ 3,444	$ 5,551	$ 16,623	$ 15,499