LEASES - Credit Quality Indicator (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022
Sales-type Lease, Net Investment in Lease, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2023	$ 56.4
2022	136.6
2021	118.1
2020	54.4
2019	14.1
Prior	2.5
Subtotal	382.1	$ 435.0
High
Sales-type Lease, Net Investment in Lease, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2023	34.7
2022	71.1
2021	63.7
2020	25.6
2019	7.2
Prior	0.5
Subtotal	202.8
Moderate
Sales-type Lease, Net Investment in Lease, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2023	21.7
2022	58.8
2021	50.1
2020	27.9
2019	6.9
Prior	2.0
Subtotal	167.4
Low
Sales-type Lease, Net Investment in Lease, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
2023	0.0
2022	6.7
2021	4.3
2020	0.9
2019	0.0
Prior	0.0
Subtotal	$ 11.9

Amount, before allowance for credit loss, of net investment in sales-type lease.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479344/326-20-45-1

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 14
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-14

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 30
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479773/842-30-50-6

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7A
-SubTopic 10
-Topic 310
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147481962/310-10-50-7A

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesTypeLeaseNetInvestmentInLease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- 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

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesTypeLeaseNetInvestmentInLeaseCreditQualityIndicatorLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of net investment in sales-type lease originated more than five years prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org//1943274/2147479319/326-20-50-6

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesTypeLeaseNetInvestmentInLeaseOriginatedFiveOrMoreYearsBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of net investment in sales-type lease originated four years prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesTypeLeaseNetInvestmentInLeaseOriginatedFourYearsBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of net investment in sales-type lease originated in current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesTypeLeaseNetInvestmentInLeaseOriginatedInCurrentFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of net investment in sales-type lease originated in fiscal year prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesTypeLeaseNetInvestmentInLeaseOriginatedInFiscalYearBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of net investment in sales-type lease originated three years prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesTypeLeaseNetInvestmentInLeaseOriginatedThreeYearsBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of net investment in sales-type lease originated two years prior to current fiscal year.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SalesTypeLeaseNetInvestmentInLeaseOriginatedTwoYearsBeforeLatestFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=isrg_HighMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=isrg_ModerateMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_InternalCreditAssessmentAxis=isrg_LowMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: