Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Oct. 30, 2015	Apr. 24, 2015	Oct. 24, 2014	Apr. 25, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,378	$ 4,843	$ 1,287	$ 1,403
Investments	14,851	14,637
Accounts receivable, net	5,044	5,112
Inventories	3,516	3,463
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Tax assets	1,619	1,335
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,315	1,454
Total current assets	28,723	30,844
Property, plant, and equipment, net	4,678	4,699
Goodwill	41,274	40,530
Other intangible assets, net	27,731	28,101
Long-term tax assets	825	774
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Other assets	1,714	1,737
Total assets	104,945	106,685
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	2,158	2,434
Accounts payable	1,447	1,610
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation	1,389	1,611
Accrued income taxes	533	935
Deferred tax liabilities	142	119
Other accrued expenses	2,457	2,464
Total current liabilities	8,126	9,173
Long-term debt	33,690	33,752
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	1,577	1,535
Long-term accrued income taxes	2,771	2,476
Long-term intercompany loans payable	0	0
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	4,766	4,700
Other long-term liabilities	1,746	1,819
Total liabilities	52,676	53,455
Shareholders’ equity	52,269	53,230
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	104,945	106,685
Consolidating Adjustments [Member] | Medtronic Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	(234)	0
Intercompany receivable	(327,327)	(297,311)
Tax assets	0	(164)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(327,561)	(297,475)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	(30)
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Long-term tax assets	0	(428)
Investment in subsidiaries	(174,289)	(176,901)
Intercompany loans receivable	(32,283)	(29,734)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(534,133)	(504,568)
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	(327,327)	(297,311)
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities	0	(164)
Other accrued expenses	0	(30)
Total current liabilities	(327,327)	(297,505)
Long-term debt	0	0
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Long-term accrued income taxes	0	0
Long-term intercompany loans payable	(32,283)	(29,734)
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	0	(428)
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(359,610)	(327,667)
Shareholders’ equity	(174,523)	(176,901)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	(534,133)	(504,568)
Consolidating Adjustments [Member] | CIFSA Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivable	(20,815)	(21,036)
Tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(20,815)	(21,036)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	(30)
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Long-term tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(145,862)	(138,867)
Intercompany loans receivable	(30,423)	(28,076)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(197,100)	(188,009)
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	(20,815)	(21,036)
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other accrued expenses	0	(30)
Total current liabilities	(20,815)	(21,066)
Long-term debt	0	0
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Long-term accrued income taxes	0	0
Long-term intercompany loans payable	(30,423)	(28,076)
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(51,238)	(49,142)
Shareholders’ equity	(145,862)	(138,867)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	(197,100)	(188,009)
Parent Company Guarantor (Medtronic plc) [Member] | Medtronic Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1	263	0	0
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivable	234	259
Tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2	4
Total current assets	237	526
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Long-term tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	71,544	70,255
Intercompany loans receivable	3,000	3,000
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	74,781	73,781
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	20,502	20,506
Accrued compensation	11	1
Accrued income taxes	13	41
Deferred tax liabilities	0	3
Other accrued expenses	1	0
Total current liabilities	20,527	20,551
Long-term debt	0	0
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Long-term accrued income taxes	0	0
Long-term intercompany loans payable	1,985	0
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	22,512	20,551
Shareholders’ equity	52,269	53,230
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	74,781	73,781
Parent Company Guarantor (Medtronic plc) [Member] | CIFSA Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1	263
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivable	234	259
Tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	2	4
Total current assets	237	526
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Long-term tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	71,544	70,255
Intercompany loans receivable	3,000	3,000
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	74,781	73,781
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	20,502	20,506
Accrued compensation	11	1
Accrued income taxes	13	41
Deferred tax liabilities	0	3
Other accrued expenses	1	0
Total current liabilities	20,527	20,551
Long-term debt	0	0
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Long-term accrued income taxes	0	0
Long-term intercompany loans payable	1,985	0
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	22,512	20,551
Shareholders’ equity	52,269	53,230
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	74,781	73,781
Subsidiary Issuer [Member] | Medtronic Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	285	1,071	86	264
Investments	14	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	170	165
Intercompany receivable	162,699	146,373
Tax assets	376	770
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	115	128
Total current assets	163,659	148,507
Property, plant, and equipment, net	1,026	976
Goodwill	1,672	1,607
Other intangible assets, net	36	39
Long-term tax assets	535	643
Investment in subsidiaries	37,221	42,311
Intercompany loans receivable	7,078	6,516
Other assets	697	678
Total assets	211,924	201,277
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	501	1,110
Accounts payable	233	261
Intercompany payable	151,757	135,091
Accrued compensation	461	490
Accrued income taxes	0	371
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other accrued expenses	503	600
Total current liabilities	153,455	137,923
Long-term debt	29,000	29,004
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	996	965
Long-term accrued income taxes	1,159	1,450
Long-term intercompany loans payable	10,221	10,218
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	234	207
Total liabilities	195,065	179,767
Shareholders’ equity	16,859	21,510
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	211,924	201,277
Subsidiary Issuer [Member] | CIFSA Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	140	728
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	140	728
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Long-term tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	8,794	4,277
Intercompany loans receivable	9,175	7,401
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	18,109	12,406
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	0	1,002
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other accrued expenses	32	40
Total current liabilities	32	1,042
Long-term debt	4,539	4,580
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Long-term accrued income taxes	0	0
Long-term intercompany loans payable	7,918	8,385
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	12,489	14,007
Shareholders’ equity	5,620	(1,601)
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	18,109	12,406
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | Medtronic Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1	170	0	0
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	1	170
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Long-term tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	65,524	64,335
Intercompany loans receivable	10,330	10,000
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	75,855	74,505
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	1,307	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	1	0
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other accrued expenses	0	0
Total current liabilities	1,308	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Long-term accrued income taxes	0	0
Long-term intercompany loans payable	10,000	10,000
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	11,308	10,000
Shareholders’ equity	64,547	64,505
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	75,855	74,505
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | CIFSA Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1	170
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Intercompany receivable	60	269
Tax assets	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	5	6
Total current assets	66	445
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	1
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Long-term tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	65,524	64,335
Intercompany loans receivable	11,827	11,303
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	77,417	76,084
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	1,307	0
Accounts payable	0	2
Intercompany payable	288	280
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	1	0
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other accrued expenses	0	1
Total current liabilities	1,596	283
Long-term debt	0	0
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Long-term accrued income taxes	0	0
Long-term intercompany loans payable	10,000	10,002
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	11,596	10,285
Shareholders’ equity	65,821	65,799
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	77,417	76,084
Subsidiary Non-guarantors [Member] | Medtronic Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	2,091	3,339	$ 1,201	$ 1,139
Investments	14,837	14,637
Accounts receivable, net	5,044	5,112
Inventories	3,580	3,298
Intercompany receivable	164,394	150,679
Tax assets	1,243	729
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,198	1,322
Total current assets	192,387	179,116
Property, plant, and equipment, net	3,652	3,753
Goodwill	39,602	38,923
Other intangible assets, net	27,695	28,062
Long-term tax assets	290	559
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	11,875	10,218
Other assets	1,017	1,059
Total assets	276,518	261,690
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	350	1,324
Accounts payable	1,214	1,349
Intercompany payable	155,068	141,714
Accrued compensation	917	1,120
Accrued income taxes	519	523
Deferred tax liabilities	142	280
Other accrued expenses	1,953	1,894
Total current liabilities	160,163	148,204
Long-term debt	4,690	4,748
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	581	570
Long-term accrued income taxes	1,612	1,026
Long-term intercompany loans payable	10,077	9,516
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	4,766	5,128
Other long-term liabilities	1,512	1,612
Total liabilities	183,401	170,804
Shareholders’ equity	93,117	90,886
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	276,518	261,690
Subsidiary Non-guarantors [Member] | CIFSA Notes [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	2,236	3,682
Investments	14,851	14,637
Accounts receivable, net	5,044	5,112
Inventories	3,516	3,463
Intercompany receivable	20,521	20,508
Tax assets	1,619	1,335
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,308	1,444
Total current assets	49,095	50,181
Property, plant, and equipment, net	4,678	4,728
Goodwill	41,274	40,530
Other intangible assets, net	27,731	28,101
Long-term tax assets	825	774
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	6,421	6,372
Other assets	1,714	1,737
Total assets	131,738	132,423
Current liabilities:
Short-term borrowings	851	1,432
Accounts payable	1,447	1,608
Intercompany payable	25	250
Accrued compensation	1,378	1,610
Accrued income taxes	519	894
Deferred tax liabilities	142	116
Other accrued expenses	2,424	2,453
Total current liabilities	6,786	8,363
Long-term debt	29,151	29,172
Long-term accrued compensation and retirement benefits	1,577	1,535
Long-term accrued income taxes	2,771	2,476
Long-term intercompany loans payable	10,520	9,689
Long-term deferred tax liabilities	4,766	4,700
Other long-term liabilities	1,746	1,819
Total liabilities	57,317	57,754
Shareholders’ equity	74,421	74,669
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$ 131,738	$ 132,423