| **Income Taxes Income Taxes (Schedule of Effective Income Tax Reconciliation) (Details)** | 12 Months Ended                                                                               |
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| **Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]**                                                      |                                                                                          |   |   |
| U.S. federal statutory tax rate                                                           | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate             | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate | 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate |
| U.S. state income taxes, net of federal tax benefit                                       | 0.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes                     | 0.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes | 0.50%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes |
| International taxes at lower rates                                                        | (19.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential          | (13.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential | (12.10%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential |
| Tax benefits from domestic manufacturer's deduction                                       | (1.20%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsQualifiedProductionActivities    | (1.90%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsQualifiedProductionActivities | (2.20%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsQualifiedProductionActivities |
| Research and development credits                                                          | (2.80%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseResearchAndDevelopment | (4.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseResearchAndDevelopment | (1.10%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationNondeductibleExpenseResearchAndDevelopment |
| Puerto Rico excise tax                                                                    | (1.70%)stj_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationExciseTax                                      | (3.00%)stj_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationExciseTax | (1.80%)stj_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationExciseTax |
| Tax settlements                                                                           | 0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxSettlementsOther                          | (1.90%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxSettlementsOther | 4.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxSettlementsOther |
| Noncontrolling interest                                                                   | 1.80%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationMinorityInterestIncomeExpense                | 3.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationMinorityInterestIncomeExpense | 0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationMinorityInterestIncomeExpense |
| Other                                                                                     | (1.10%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments                           | (2.50%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments | 2.30%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments |
| Effective income tax rate                                                                 | 10.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations                                      | 11.70%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations | 25.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations |

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| - Definition
Effective income tax rate reconciliation excise tax.
+ References
No definition available.
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| - Definition
Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.
+ References
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
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| - Definition
Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss).
+ References
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| - Definition
Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to deduction for qualified production activity.
+ References
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|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to statutory income tax expense (benefit) outside of the country of domicile.
+ References
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| - Definition
Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interest income (loss) exempt from income taxes.
+ References
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| - Definition
Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to research and development expense.
+ References
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|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to other adjustments.
+ References
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| - Definition
Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to state and local income tax expense (benefit), net of federal tax expense (benefit).
+ References
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|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to other income tax settlements.
+ References
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