| **Commitments And Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)**                                                                              |              | 3 Months Ended |        | 3 Months Ended |             | 12 Months Ended |        |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------|----------------|--------|----------------|-------------|-----------------|--------|
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| **Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]**                                                                                               |         |           |   |           |        |            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| days of legal notice                                                                                                                         |         |           | 45     |           |        |            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Number of outstanding class actions                                                                                                          |         |           |   | 1              | 1           | 1               |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Number of lawsuits outstanding                                                                                                               |         | 23             |   |           |        |            | 1      |   | 9 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Number of claimants with filed lawsuits that are not seeking suit for alleged bodily injuries from surgical removal or replacment of product |         | 1              |   |           |        |            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Number of claimants in lawsuit                                                                                                               |         |           |   |           |        |            | 29     |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Number of other multi-plaintiff lawsuits                                                                                                     |         | 2              |   |           |        |            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Number of unrelated claimants in each other multi-plaintiff lawsuits                                                                         |         | 2              |   |           |        |            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Minimum damage loss claimed                                                                                                                  |         |           |   |           | $ 1,000,000 | $ 75,000        |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Remaining insurance coverage for Silzone claims                                                                                              | $ 13,000,000 |           |   |           |        |            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Number of insurance carriers                                                                                                                 | 2            |           |   |           |        |            |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Number of Form 483 Observations                                                                                                              |         |           |   |           |        |            |   | 11 |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |

| X                                                                                                                                                                |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
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| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of days required by the defendant to provide legal notice before engaging in activities/clinical trials related to patent under dispute.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_DaysOfLegalNotice**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of claimants in lawsuit
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_NumberOfClaimantsInLawsuit**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of claimants with filed lawsuits that are not seeking suit for alleged bodily injuries from surgical removal or replacment of product
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_NumberOfClaimantsWithFiledLawsuitsThatAreNotSeekingSuitForAllegedBodilyInjuriesFromSurgicalRemovalOrReplacmentOfProduct**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of Form 483 Observations
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_NumberOfForm483Observations**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number Of Insurance Carriers
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_NumberOfInsuranceCarriers**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:positiveIntegerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of lawsuits outstanding, excluding class action lawsuits
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_NumberOfLawsuitsOutstandingExcludingClassActionLawsuits**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of other multi-plaintiff lawsuits
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_NumberOfOtherMultiPlaintiffLawsuits**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of outstanding class actions.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_NumberOfOutstandingClassActions**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Number of unrelated claimants in each other multi-plaintiff lawsuits
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_NumberOfUnrelatedClaimantsInEachOtherMultiPlaintiffLawsuits**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:integerItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Remaining insurance coverage for Silzone claims.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**stj_RemainingInsuranceCoverageForClaims**Namespace Prefix:**stj_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
The value (monetary amount) of the award the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6952336&loc=d3e14435-108349Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6952336&loc=d3e14557-108349Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6952336&loc=d3e14326-108349Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 11 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 9 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 10 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 5 -Paragraph 12 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.
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