Acquisitions (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended					0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		0 Months Ended					1 Months Ended					0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Jun. 30, 2010	Dec. 16, 2011 Lutonix, Inc [Member]	Nov. 10, 2011 Medivance, Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 ClearStream Technologies [Member]	Jul. 06, 2010 SenoRX, Inc. [Member]	May 20, 2010 Bard Sendirian Berhad [Member]	Apr. 12, 2010 FlowCardia, Inc. [Member]	Nov. 18, 2009 Y-Med Inc. [Member]	Jun. 15, 2009 Brennen Medical [Member]	Jun. 15, 2009 Brennen Medical [Member]	Jan. 11, 2008 LifeStent [Member]	Feb. 28, 2009 LifeStent [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 LifeStent [Member]	Sep. 30, 2009 LifeStent [Member]	Jan. 11, 2008 Transfer Of Operations [Member]	Jan. 11, 2008 Regulatory Approvals [Member]	Nov. 10, 2011 Customer Relationships [Member] Medivance, Inc. [Member]	Dec. 16, 2011 Core Technologies [Member] Lutonix, Inc [Member]	Nov. 10, 2011 Core Technologies [Member] Medivance, Inc. [Member]	Jul. 06, 2010 Core Technologies [Member] SenoRX, Inc. [Member]	Apr. 12, 2010 Core Technologies [Member] FlowCardia, Inc. [Member]	Nov. 18, 2009 Core Technologies [Member] Y-Med Inc. [Member]	Jun. 15, 2009 Core Technologies [Member] Brennen Medical [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 In-Process Research And Development [Member]		Dec. 31, 2010 In-Process Research And Development [Member]		Dec. 16, 2011 In-Process Research And Development [Member] Lutonix, Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Other Intangible Assets [Member] Core Technologies [Member] ClearStream Technologies [Member]
Business acquisition purchase price							$ 298,000,000	$ 255,500,000	$ 69,100,000	$ 213,500,000	$ 25,900,000	$ 80,100,000	$ 35,300,000			$ 73,300,000
Upfront cash payment							228,000,000
Fair value of contingent consideration							70,000,000
Purchase price allocation at fair value, goodwill							166,300,000	112,200,000	29,500,000	83,800,000		27,200,000	12,700,000	900,000	900,000
Business acquisition purchase price per share										$ 11.00
Acquisition related transaction costs	3,800,000		3,800,000			2,500,000	1,400,000	1,700,000	2,600,000	3,200,000						3,600,000
Increase in deferred tax assets																	7,800,000	8,500,000
Contingent milestone payments							100,000,000									65,000,000				15,000,000	50,000,000
Inventory write-offs														1,200,000
Purchase price allocation at fair value, recognition of deferred tax assets							24,700,000	25,000,000	3,300,000	42,300,000		18,100,000	2,300,000
Purchase price allocation at fair value, recognition of deferred tax liabilities							59,500,000	63,300,000	3,800,000	44,000,000		19,300,000	10,800,000
Purchase price allocation at fair value, IPR&D																													136,200,000	[1]	21,900,000	[1]	131,500,000
Purchase price allocation, recognition of customer relationships and core technologies																						88,700,000	33,400,000	75,900,000	95,100,000	46,400,000	28,400,000	15,500,000						29,100,000
Purchase price allocation at fair value, recognition of other net assets							1,600,000	17,000,000				3,000,000		1,500,000	1,500,000
Integration costs recorded to other (income) expense before tax	4,100,000	7,700,000	4,400,000	9,300,000	3,200,000			1,800,000	2,000,000
Integration costs recorded to other (income) expense after tax								1,100,000	1,800,000
Non-cash charge related to asset write-offs before tax															5,700,000
Non-cash charge related to asset write-offs after tax															5,200,000
Non-cash charge for impairment of property, plant and equipment														4,500,000
Estimated useful lives, years									10	10		11	10	13								13	12	14
Acquisition costs, termination of agreements										6,900,000			3,200,000
Acquisition costs, termination of agreements, after tax										4,200,000			2,000,000
Purchase price allocation at fair value, recognition of indefinite-lived intangible asset										12,800,000		4,700,000
Contingent milestone payments																			15,000,000
Assets acquired in acquisition									11,000,000	23,500,000			2,700,000	17,000,000	17,000,000
Excess of cash paid over the carrying amount of the noncontrolling interest											13,200,000
Business acquisition percentage of common shares acquired											15.00%
Contingent milestone payments																	27,000,000	23,000,000
Fair value of assets acquired																102,300,000
Decrease in contingent milestone payments, acquisition related liability																	10,900,000	14,500,000
Contingent milestone payments, goodwill																	$ 8,300,000

[1] Amounts capitalized as in-process research and development are accounted for as indefinite-lived intangible assets.