Segment information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Apr. 02, 2017	Mar. 27, 2016
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 487,881	$ 424,893
Operating profit	60,819	67,497
Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	90,581	90,072
Unallocated expenses
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	(29,762)	(22,575)
Vascular North America
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	93,849	81,588
Vascular North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	24,816	19,656
Anesthesia North America
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	48,207	45,957
Anesthesia North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	13,527	12,177
Surgical North America
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	45,944	38,941
Surgical North America | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	16,380	13,256
EMEA
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	130,733	122,095
EMEA | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	22,240	21,043
Asia
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	48,953	49,156
Asia | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	10,798	13,008
OEM
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	43,346	33,977
OEM | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	9,121	5,189
All other
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Revenue	76,849	53,179
All other | Operating Segments
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Operating profit	$ (6,301)	$ 5,743