Employee Benefit Plans (Details 5) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 03, 2014
Swiss Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2014	$ 54
2015	54
2016	57
2017	60
2018	64
2019 - 2023	386
Total	675
Japan Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2014	45
2015	58
2016	75
2017	120
2018	72
2019 - 2023	390
Total	$ 760

Reflects the total amount of expected future benefit payments.

No definition available.

Name:	staa_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPayments
Namespace Prefix:	staa_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits expected to be paid in the five fiscal years after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year from a defined benefit plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (f)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28361610&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsFiveFiscalYearsThereafter
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits expected to be paid in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year from a defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsNextTwelveMonths
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits expected to be paid in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year from a defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearFive
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits expected to be paid in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year from a defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearFour
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits expected to be paid in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year from a defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearThree
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits expected to be paid in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year from a defined benefit plan.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanExpectedFutureBenefitPaymentsYearTwo
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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