| **Business Combination (Details)**                | Jul. 21, 2015 $ / shares |
|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|
| Subsequent Event | Thoratec                       |                     |
| **Business Acquisition [Line Items]**             |                     |
| Business acquisition, share price (USD per share) | $ 63.50                  |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Price of a single share of a number of saleable stocks paid or offered to be paid in a business combination.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionSharePrice**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**num:perShareItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**instant |
| X                                                                                                                                                     |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                     |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=stj_ThoratecCorporationMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |