Guarantor Financial Information , Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 24, 2015	Jan. 23, 2015	Oct. 24, 2014	Jul. 25, 2014	Apr. 25, 2014	Jan. 24, 2014	Oct. 25, 2013	Jul. 26, 2013	Apr. 24, 2015	Apr. 25, 2014	Apr. 26, 2013
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 7,304	$ 4,318	$ 4,366	$ 4,273	$ 4,566	$ 4,163	$ 4,194	$ 4,083	$ 20,261	$ 17,005	$ 16,590
Cost of products sold									6,309	4,333	4,126
Research and development expense									1,640	1,477	1,557
Selling, general, and administrative expense									6,904	5,847	5,698
Special (gains) charges, net									(38)	40	0
Restructuring charges, net									237	78	172
Certain litigation charges, net									42	770	245
Acquisition-related items									550	117	(49)
Amortization of intangible assets									733	349	331
Other expense, net									118	181	108
Operating profit									3,766	3,813	4,402
Interest income									(386)	(271)	(237)
Interest expense									666	379	388
Interest expense, net									280	108	151
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Income from operations before income taxes									3,486	3,705	4,251
Provision for income taxes									811	640	784
Net income	$ (1)	$ 977	$ 828	$ 871	$ 448	$ 762	$ 902	$ 953	2,675	3,065	3,467
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)	(105)	(19)
Comprehensive income									2,088	2,960	3,448
Consolidating Adjustments | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									(1,261)	(1,155)	(1,090)
Cost of products sold									(894)	(1,143)	(1,078)
Research and development expense									0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense									0	0	0
Special (gains) charges, net									0	0	0
Restructuring charges, net									0	0	0
Certain litigation charges, net									0	0	0
Acquisition-related items									0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets									0	0	0
Other expense, net									0	0	0
Operating profit									(367)	(12)	(12)
Interest income									170	0	0
Interest expense									(170)	0	0
Interest expense, net									0	0	0
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									8,615	3,560	3,945
Income from operations before income taxes									(8,982)	(3,572)	(3,957)
Provision for income taxes									(138)	(12)	(12)
Net income									(8,844)	(3,560)	(3,945)
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									1,761	105	19
Comprehensive income									(7,083)	(3,455)	(3,926)
Consolidating Adjustments | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									0
Cost of products sold									0
Research and development expense									0
Selling, general, and administrative expense									0
Special (gains) charges, net									0
Restructuring charges, net									0
Certain litigation charges, net									0
Acquisition-related items									0
Amortization of intangible assets									0
Other expense, net									0
Operating profit									0
Interest income									319
Interest expense									(319)
Interest expense, net									0
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									4,362
Income from operations before income taxes									(4,362)
Provision for income taxes									0
Net income									(4,362)
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									1,761
Comprehensive income									(2,601)
Parent Company Guarantor (Medtronic plc) | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Cost of products sold									0	0	0
Research and development expense									0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense									0	0	0
Special (gains) charges, net									0	0	0
Restructuring charges, net									0	0	0
Certain litigation charges, net									0	0	0
Acquisition-related items									0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets									0	0	0
Other expense, net									(108)	0	0
Operating profit									108	0	0
Interest income									0	0	0
Interest expense									0	0	0
Interest expense, net									0	0	0
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									(2,578)	0	0
Income from operations before income taxes									2,686	0	0
Provision for income taxes									11	0	0
Net income									2,675	0	0
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)	0	0
Comprehensive income									2,088	0	0
Parent Company Guarantor (Medtronic plc) | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									0
Cost of products sold									0
Research and development expense									$ 0
Selling, general, and administrative expense
Special (gains) charges, net									$ 0
Restructuring charges, net									0
Certain litigation charges, net									0
Acquisition-related items									0
Amortization of intangible assets									0
Other expense, net									(108)
Operating profit									108
Interest income									0
Interest expense									0
Interest expense, net									0
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									(2,578)
Income from operations before income taxes									2,686
Provision for income taxes									11
Net income									2,675
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)
Comprehensive income									2,088
Subsidiary Issuer | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									1,261	1,155	1,090
Cost of products sold									1,234	1,123	1,057
Research and development expense									390	380	421
Selling, general, and administrative expense									535	617	542
Special (gains) charges, net									0	0	0
Restructuring charges, net									0	0	0
Certain litigation charges, net									0	0	0
Acquisition-related items									0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets									11	12	14
Other expense, net									(712)	(1,219)	(1,136)
Operating profit									(197)	242	192
Interest income									0	(5)	0
Interest expense									706	317	329
Interest expense, net									706	312	329
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									(3,629)	(3,560)	(3,945)
Income from operations before income taxes									2,726	3,490	3,808
Provision for income taxes									(330)	425	341
Net income									3,056	3,065	3,467
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)	(105)	(19)
Comprehensive income									2,469	2,960	3,448
Subsidiary Issuer | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									0
Cost of products sold									0
Research and development expense									0
Selling, general, and administrative expense									0
Special (gains) charges, net									0
Restructuring charges, net									0
Certain litigation charges, net									0
Acquisition-related items									0
Amortization of intangible assets									0
Other expense, net									1
Operating profit									(1)
Interest income									(149)
Interest expense									29
Interest expense, net									(120)
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									626
Income from operations before income taxes									(507)
Provision for income taxes									0
Net income									(507)
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)
Comprehensive income									(1,094)
Subsidiary Guarantors | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									0	0	0
Cost of products sold									0	0	0
Research and development expense									0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative expense									0	0	0
Special (gains) charges, net									0	0	0
Restructuring charges, net									0	0	0
Certain litigation charges, net									0	0	0
Acquisition-related items									0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets									0	0	0
Other expense, net									0	0	0
Operating profit									0	0	0
Interest income									(170)	0	0
Interest expense									0	0	0
Interest expense, net									(170)	0	0
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									(2,408)	0	0
Income from operations before income taxes									2,578	0	0
Provision for income taxes									0	0	0
Net income									2,578	0	0
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)	0	0
Comprehensive income									1,991	0	0
Subsidiary Guarantors | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									0
Cost of products sold									0
Research and development expense									0
Selling, general, and administrative expense									21
Special (gains) charges, net									0
Restructuring charges, net									0
Certain litigation charges, net									0
Acquisition-related items									0
Amortization of intangible assets									0
Other expense, net									26
Operating profit									(47)
Interest income									(170)
Interest expense									0
Interest expense, net									(170)
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									(2,410)
Income from operations before income taxes									2,533
Provision for income taxes									0
Net income									2,533
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)
Comprehensive income									1,946
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									20,261	17,005	16,590
Cost of products sold									5,969	4,353	4,147
Research and development expense									1,250	1,097	1,136
Selling, general, and administrative expense									6,369	5,230	5,156
Special (gains) charges, net									(38)	40	0
Restructuring charges, net									237	78	172
Certain litigation charges, net									42	770	245
Acquisition-related items									550	117	(49)
Amortization of intangible assets									722	337	317
Other expense, net									938	1,400	1,244
Operating profit									4,222	3,583	4,222
Interest income									(386)	(266)	(237)
Interest expense									130	62	59
Interest expense, net									(256)	(204)	(178)
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Income from operations before income taxes									4,478	3,787	4,400
Provision for income taxes									1,268	227	455
Net income									3,210	3,560	3,945
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)	(105)	(19)
Comprehensive income									2,623	$ 3,455	$ 3,926
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Net sales									20,261
Cost of products sold									6,309
Research and development expense									1,640
Selling, general, and administrative expense									6,883
Special (gains) charges, net									(38)
Restructuring charges, net									237
Certain litigation charges, net									42
Acquisition-related items									550
Amortization of intangible assets									733
Other expense, net									199
Operating profit									3,706
Interest income									(386)
Interest expense									956
Interest expense, net									570
Equity in net income of subsidiaries									0
Income from operations before income taxes									3,136
Provision for income taxes									800
Net income									2,336
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax									(587)
Comprehensive income									$ 1,749