Guarantor Financial Information , Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 24, 2015	Apr. 25, 2014	Apr. 26, 2013
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	$ 4,902	$ 4,959	$ 4,942
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(14,884)	(385)	(820)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(571)	(396)	(457)
Purchases of marketable securities	(7,582)	(10,895)	(12,321)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	5,890	8,111	10,511
Net decrease in intercompany loans	0	0	0
Increase in investment in subsidiary		0	0
Other investing activities, net	89	(29)	(14)
Net cash used in investing activities	(17,058)	(3,594)	(3,101)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	(85)	(1)	(18)
Change in short-term borrowings, net	(1)	127	(720)
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	(150)	(1,301)	(2,700)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	150	1,176	2,628
Issuance of long-term debt	19,942	1,994	2,980
Payments on long-term debt	(1,268)	(565)	(2,214)
Dividends to shareholders	(1,337)	(1,116)	(1,055)
Issuance of ordinary shares	649	1,307	267
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(1,920)	(2,553)	(1,247)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0	0
Intercompany dividend paid	0
Other financing activities	(31)	14	(22)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	15,949	(918)	(2,101)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(353)	37	7
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	3,440	484	(253)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,403	919	1,172
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	4,843	1,403	919
Consolidating Adjustments | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	0	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0	0
Net decrease in intercompany loans	16,941	11	(17)
Increase in investment in subsidiary		0	0
Other investing activities, net	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	16,941	11	(17)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	0	0	0
Change in short-term borrowings, net	0	0	0
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0	0	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(16,941)	(11)	17
Other financing activities	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(16,941)	(11)	17
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0
Consolidating Adjustments | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	(1,100)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0
Net decrease in intercompany loans	27,591
Other investing activities, net	0
Net cash used in investing activities	27,591
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	0
Change in short-term borrowings, net	0
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	0
Dividends to shareholders	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(27,591)
Intercompany dividend paid	1,100
Other financing activities	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(26,491)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Parent Company Guarantor (Medtronic plc) | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	26	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(9,700)	0	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0	0
Net decrease in intercompany loans	0	0	0
Increase in investment in subsidiary		0	0
Other investing activities, net	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(9,700)	0	0
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	0	0	0
Change in short-term borrowings, net	0	0	0
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0	0	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	(435)	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	172	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(300)	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	10,500	0	0
Intercompany dividend paid	0
Other financing activities	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	9,937	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	263	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	263	0	0
Parent Company Guarantor (Medtronic plc) | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	263
Subsidiary Issuer | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,649	1,384	2,298
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(65)	0	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	(154)	(119)
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0	0
Net decrease in intercompany loans	(16,996)	1	0
Increase in investment in subsidiary		0	0
Other investing activities, net	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(17,061)	(153)	(119)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	0	0	0
Change in short-term borrowings, net	0	0	(699)
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	(150)	(1,301)	(2,700)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	150	1,045	2,628
Issuance of long-term debt	19,942	1,994	2,980
Payments on long-term debt	(1,268)	(565)	(2,214)
Dividends to shareholders	(902)	(1,116)	(1,055)
Issuance of ordinary shares	477	1,307	267
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(1,620)	(2,553)	(1,247)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(55)	12	(17)
Other financing activities	0	14	(22)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	16,574	(1,163)	(2,079)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(355)	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	807	68	100
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	264	196	96
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,071	264	196
Subsidiary Issuer | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	(205)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0
Net decrease in intercompany loans	(7,401)
Other investing activities, net	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(7,401)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	0
Change in short-term borrowings, net	0
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	(51)
Dividends to shareholders	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	8,385
Intercompany dividend paid	0
Other financing activities	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	8,334
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	728
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	728	0
Subsidiary Guarantors | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	170	0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	0	0	0
Purchases of marketable securities	0	0	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0	0	0
Net decrease in intercompany loans	0	0	0
Increase in investment in subsidiary		0	0
Other investing activities, net	0	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	0	0	0
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	0	0	0
Change in short-term borrowings, net	0	0	0
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0	0	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0	0	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0	0
Other financing activities	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	0	0
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	170	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	170	0	0
Subsidiary Guarantors | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	1,472
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(1)
Purchases of marketable securities	0
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	0
Net decrease in intercompany loans	(1,303)
Other investing activities, net	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,304)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	0
Change in short-term borrowings, net	0
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0
Payments on long-term debt	0
Dividends to shareholders	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	2
Intercompany dividend paid	0
Other financing activities	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	2
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	170
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	170	0
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Medtronic Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	3,057	3,575	2,644
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(5,119)	(385)	(820)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(571)	(242)	(338)
Purchases of marketable securities	(7,582)	(10,895)	(12,321)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	5,890	8,111	10,511
Net decrease in intercompany loans	55	(12)	17
Increase in investment in subsidiary		0	0
Other investing activities, net	89	(29)	(14)
Net cash used in investing activities	(7,238)	(3,452)	(2,965)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	(85)	(1)	(18)
Change in short-term borrowings, net	(1)	127	(21)
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0	0	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	0	131	0
Issuance of long-term debt	0	0	0
Payments on long-term debt	0	0	0
Dividends to shareholders	0	0	0
Issuance of ordinary shares	0	0	0
Repurchase of ordinary shares	0	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	6,496	(1)	0
Other financing activities	(31)	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	6,379	256	(39)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	2	37	7
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	2,200	416	(353)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,139	723	1,076
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	3,339	1,139	$ 723
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | CIFSA Notes
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities	4,709
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(5,184)
Additions to property, plant, and equipment	(570)
Purchases of marketable securities	(7,582)
Sales and maturities of marketable securities	5,890
Net decrease in intercompany loans	(18,887)
Other investing activities, net	89
Net cash used in investing activities	(26,244)
Acquisition-related contingent consideration	(85)
Change in short-term borrowings, net	(1)
Repayment of short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	(150)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings (maturities greater than 90 days)	150
Issuance of long-term debt	19,942
Payments on long-term debt	(1,217)
Dividends to shareholders	(902)
Issuance of ordinary shares	477
Repurchase of ordinary shares	(1,620)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	8,704
Intercompany dividend paid	(1,100)
Other financing activities	(31)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	24,167
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(353)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	2,279
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,403
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 3,682	$ 1,403