Employee Benefit Plans (Details 5) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jan. 02, 2015
Swiss Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2015	$ 50
2016	55
2017	60
2018	65
2019	64
2020 - 2024	397
Total	691
Japan Plan [Member]
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
2015	85
2016	54
2017	141
2018	51
2019	48
2020 - 2024	537
Total	$ 916

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 from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the five fiscal years after the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ 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=35743120&loc=d3e1928-114920

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the next fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the fifth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the fourth fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the third fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of benefits from a defined benefit plan expected to be paid in the second fiscal year following the latest fiscal year. Excludes interim and annual periods when interim periods are reported on a rolling approach, from latest balance sheet date.

+ References

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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- Details

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