| **Business Combinations and Variable Interest Entities (Details) (Spinal Modulation [Member], USD $)In Millions, unless otherwise specified** | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
||
| Equity Security Ownership Interest And Allocated Value For Purchase Option                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | $ 40stj_EquitySecurityOwnershipInterestAndAllocatedValueForPurchaseOption |
| Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent                                                                                       |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 19.00%us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent |
| Additional Payment For Acquisition At Company Option                                                                                          |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 300stj_AdditionalPaymentForAcquisitionAtCompanyOption |
| Variable Interest Entity, Financial or Other Support, Amount                                                                                  | 20us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityFinancialOrOtherSupportAmount                                                                                                                                        |                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |   |
| Maximum [Member]                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |   |
| Variable Interest Entity, Financial or Other Support, Amount                                                                                  | 25us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityFinancialOrOtherSupportAmount/ us-gaap_BusinessCombinationSeparatelyRecognizedTransactionsAxis= stj_SpinalModulationMember/ us-gaap_RangeAxis= us-gaap_MaximumMember |                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |   |
| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]                                                                                                            |                                                                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |   |
| Variable Interest Entity, Financial or Other Support, Amount                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                                                                 | $ 15us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityFinancialOrOtherSupportAmount/ us-gaap_BusinessCombinationSeparatelyRecognizedTransactionsAxis= stj_SpinalModulationMember/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Additional payment for acquisition at our company's option.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_AdditionalPaymentForAcquisitionAtCompanyOption**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Equity security ownership interest and allocated value for purchase option.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_EquitySecurityOwnershipInterestAndAllocatedValueForPurchaseOption**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_MinorityInterestOwnershipPercentageByParent**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**num:percentItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The amount of financial or other support the reporting entity has provided (explicitly or implicitly) to the Variable Interest Entity (VIE) that it was not previously contractually required to provide or that the reporting entity intends to provide, including, for example, situations in which the reporting entity assisted the VIE in obtaining another type of support.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5A -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=SL6759159-111685
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityFinancialOrOtherSupportAmount**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |