Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended								9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended				1 Months Ended							1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2007 Hernia Repair Products LegalMatter	Jun. 30, 2011 Hernia Repair Products	Dec. 31, 2011 Brachytherapy Matter	Sep. 30, 2012 WomenS Health Product Claims	Jul. 31, 2012 WomenS Health Product Claims	Sep. 30, 2012 Hernia Products Claims	Sep. 30, 2012 Hernia Products Claims	Dec. 31, 2011 Hernia Products Claims	Jun. 30, 2012 W. L. Gore	Jul. 31, 2010 W. L. Gore	Mar. 31, 2009 W. L. Gore	Dec. 31, 2007 W. L. Gore	Mar. 31, 2009 Attorney Fees	Mar. 31, 2009 Prejudgment Interest	Sep. 30, 2012 Other Legal Matter	Aug. 30, 2010 Superior Court of State of Rhode Island Hernia Repair Products	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event Hernia Repair Products Plaintiff	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event WomenS Health Product Claims Plaintiff	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event Filter Product Claims Plaintiff	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event United States LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event United States Hernia Repair Products LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event United States WomenS Health Product Claims LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event Canada Hernia Repair Products LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event Canada WomenS Health Product Claims LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event Federal Law Claims Hernia Repair Products LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event Federal Law Claims WomenS Health Product Claims LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event State Law Claims Hernia Repair Products LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event State Law Claims Filter Product Claims LegalMatter	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event Superior Court of State of Rhode Island Hernia Repair Products Plaintiff	Oct. 18, 2012 Subsequent Event Superior Court of State of Rhode Island State Law Claims Hernia Repair Products LegalMatter
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits																						1					1,505	1,195	755			730
Number of individual plaintiffs																			2,400	1,580	60										830
Number of putative class actions																							2	4	3	1				3
Number of previously filed class action lawsuits																						10
Number of Multidistrict Litigations			1
U. S. District Court award for plaintiff's damages							$ 3.6											$ 1.5
Product Claims, charges incurred before taxes				184.3
Product Claims, charges incurred after tax				180.6
Receivable insurance coverage disputed								25.0									30.0
Insurance coverage disputed						50
Legal settlement costs, gross					51.0
Legal settlement costs, net of tax					40.8
U. S. District Court award for damages												109	371	185	19	20
Court-assessed royalty rate, lower limit												12.50%
Court-assessed royalty rate, upper limit												20.00%
Escrow deposit representing an estimation of liability											401
Accruals for product liability and other legal matters	168.8	287.3
Payments to qualified settlement fund								6.2	155.4
Cumulative payments from qualified settlement fund to qualified claimants									127.9
Payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds								125.8
Cumulative other payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds									8.0
Other payments to qualified claimants from qualified settlement funds								5.4
Receivables from insurance companies								$ 55.7	$ 55.7	$ 51.0