SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of PresentationIn the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (“Financial Statements”) of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. and its wholly- and majority-owned subsidiaries have been prepared on a consistent basis with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, and include all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly state the information set forth herein. The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and, therefore, omit certain information and footnote disclosure necessary to present the Financial Statements in accordance with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). These Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 4, 2019. The results of operations for the first nine months of fiscal year 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire fiscal year or any future periods.
Consolidation and Joint Ventures	The Financial Statements include the results and the balances of the Company’s majority-owned joint venture (referred to herein as the “Joint Venture”) with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (“Fosun Pharma”). The Company holds a controlling financial interest in the Joint Venture and the noncontrolling interest is reflected as a separate component of consolidated stockholders’ equity. The noncontrolling interest’s share of the earnings in the Joint Venture is presented separately in the consolidated statements of income.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements Leases In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“Topic 842”), which amended prior accounting standards for leases. The Company adopted Topic 842 on January 1, 2019, using the alternative modified transition method, which requires a cumulative-effect adjustment, if any, to the opening balance of retained earnings to be recognized on the date of adoption with prior periods not restated. There was no cumulative-effect adjustment recorded on January 1, 2019. Please see the description of the Company’s “Leases” accounting policy in the “Significant Accounting Policies” section below. The Company elected the following practical expedients when assessing the transition impact from both the lessee and lessor perspectives: (i) not to reassess whether any expired or existing contracts as of January 1, 2019, are or contain leases; (ii) not to reassess the lease classification for any expired or existing leases as of January 1, 2019; (iii) not to reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases as of January 1, 2019; and (iv) not to reassess whether land easements meet the definition of a lease. The primary impact for the Company was the balance sheet recognition of right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities for operating leases as a lessee. Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles (Topic 350): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. This standard also requires customers to amortize the capitalized implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract over the term of the hosting arrangement. The Company early adopted this standard, as of January 1, 2019, on a prospective basis for applicable implementation costs. The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position and the results of operations in fiscal year 2019.
Leases	Leases The Company determines if an arrangement contains a lease at inception. For arrangements where the Company is the lessee, operating leases are included in intangible and other assets, net; other accrued liabilities; and other long-term liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2019. The Company currently does not have any finance leases. Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. ROU assets also include any initial direct costs incurred and any lease payments made at or before the lease commencement date, less lease incentives received. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the lease liabilities as the Company’s leases generally do not provide an implicit rate. Lease terms may include options to extend or terminate when the Company is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. The Company also has lease arrangements with lease and non-lease components. The Company elected the practical expedient not to separate non-lease components from lease components for the Company’s real estate and automobile leases. Additionally, the Company applied a portfolio approach to effectively account for the operating lease ROU assets and lease liabilities for the Company’s automobile leases. The Company also elected to apply the short-term lease measurement and recognition exemption in which ROU assets and lease liabilities are not recognized for leases with terms of 12 months or less.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Basis of PresentationIn the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (“Financial Statements”) of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. and its wholly- and majority-owned subsidiaries have been prepared on a consistent basis with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, and include all adjustments, consisting of only normal recurring adjustments, necessary to fairly state the information set forth herein. The Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and, therefore, omit certain information and footnote disclosure necessary to present the Financial Statements in accordance with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). These Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 4, 2019. The results of operations for the first nine months of fiscal year 2019 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the entire fiscal year or any future periods.

Consolidation and Joint Ventures

The Financial Statements include the results and the balances of the Company’s majority-owned joint venture (referred to herein as the “Joint Venture”) with Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (“Fosun Pharma”). The Company holds a controlling financial interest in the Joint Venture and the noncontrolling interest is reflected as a separate component of consolidated stockholders’ equity. The noncontrolling interest’s share of the earnings in the Joint Venture is presented separately in the consolidated statements of income.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Leases

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“Topic 842”), which amended prior accounting standards for leases. The Company adopted Topic 842 on January 1, 2019, using the alternative modified transition method, which requires a cumulative-effect adjustment, if any, to the opening balance of retained earnings to be recognized on the date of adoption with prior periods not restated. There was no cumulative-effect adjustment recorded on January 1, 2019. Please see the description of the Company’s “Leases” accounting policy in the “Significant Accounting Policies” section below.

The Company elected the following practical expedients when assessing the transition impact from both the lessee and lessor perspectives: (i) not to reassess whether any expired or existing contracts as of January 1, 2019, are or contain leases; (ii) not to reassess the lease classification for any expired or existing leases as of January 1, 2019; (iii) not to reassess initial direct costs for any existing leases as of January 1, 2019; and (iv) not to reassess whether land easements meet the definition of a lease.

The primary impact for the Company was the balance sheet recognition of right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities for operating leases as a lessee.

Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-15, Intangibles (Topic 350): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. This standard also requires customers to amortize the capitalized implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract over the term of the hosting arrangement. The Company early adopted this standard, as of January 1, 2019, on a prospective basis for applicable implementation costs.

The adoption did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position and the results of operations in fiscal year 2019.

Leases

The Company determines if an arrangement contains a lease at inception. For arrangements where the Company is the lessee, operating leases are included in intangible and other assets, net; other accrued liabilities; and other long-term liabilities on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2019. The Company currently does not have any finance leases.

Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. ROU assets also include any initial direct costs incurred and any lease payments made at or before the lease commencement date, less lease incentives received. The Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the lease liabilities as the Company’s leases generally do not provide an implicit rate. Lease terms may include options to extend or terminate when the Company is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The Company also has lease arrangements with lease and non-lease components. The Company elected the practical expedient not to separate non-lease components from lease components for the Company’s real estate and automobile leases. Additionally, the Company applied a portfolio approach to effectively account for the operating lease ROU assets and lease liabilities for the Company’s automobile leases. The Company also elected to apply the short-term lease measurement and recognition exemption in which ROU assets and lease liabilities are not recognized for leases with terms of 12 months or less.