Segment and Geographic Information (Details)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 28, 2017 USD ($)	Jan. 27, 2017 USD ($)	Oct. 28, 2016 USD ($)	Jul. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Oct. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 28, 2017 USD ($) subsegment	Apr. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Apr. 24, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information
Total	$ 7,916,000,000	$ 7,283,000,000	$ 7,345,000,000	$ 7,166,000,000	$ 7,567,000,000	$ 6,934,000,000	$ 7,058,000,000	$ 7,274,000,000	$ 29,710,000,000	$ 28,833,000,000	$ 20,261,000,000
Special charge (gain), net									(100,000,000)	(70,000,000)	38,000,000
Certain litigation charges									(300,000,000)	(26,000,000)	(42,000,000)
Acquisition-related items									(220,000,000)	(283,000,000)	(550,000,000)
Amortization of intangible assets									(1,980,000,000)	(1,931,000,000)	(733,000,000)
Centralized distribution costs									(1,543,000,000)	(1,177,000,000)	(794,000,000)
Income before provision for income taxes									4,602,000,000	4,336,000,000	3,486,000,000
Total Assets	99,816,000,000				99,644,000,000				99,816,000,000	99,644,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	4,361,000,000				4,841,000,000				4,361,000,000	4,841,000,000
Americas
Segment Reporting Information
Total									17,939,000,000	17,578,000,000	12,125,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	3,270,000,000				3,728,000,000				3,270,000,000	3,728,000,000
U.S.
Segment Reporting Information
Total									16,700,000,000	16,400,000,000	11,300,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	2,500,000,000				3,300,000,000				2,500,000,000	3,300,000,000
EMEA
Segment Reporting Information
Total									6,739,000,000	6,700,000,000	5,064,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	709,000,000				708,000,000				709,000,000	708,000,000
Asia Pacific
Segment Reporting Information
Total									3,443,000,000	3,060,000,000	2,059,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	192,000,000				220,000,000				192,000,000	220,000,000
Greater China
Segment Reporting Information
Total									1,589,000,000	1,495,000,000	1,013,000,000
Property, plant, and equipment, net	190,000,000				185,000,000				190,000,000	185,000,000
Ireland
Segment Reporting Information
Property, plant, and equipment, net	171,000,000				169,000,000				$ 171,000,000	169,000,000
Cardiac and Vascular Group
Segment Reporting Information
Number of divisions | subsegment									3
Minimally Invasive Therapies Group
Segment Reporting Information
Number of divisions | subsegment									2
Restorative Therapies Group
Segment Reporting Information
Number of divisions | subsegment									4
Reportable segments
Segment Reporting Information
Reportable segments' EBITA before other adjustments									$ 11,126,000,000	10,697,000,000	7,719,000,000
Total Assets	82,523,000,000				82,946,000,000				82,523,000,000	82,946,000,000
Reportable segments | Cardiac and Vascular Group
Segment Reporting Information
Total									10,498,000,000	10,196,000,000	9,361,000,000
Reportable segments' EBITA before other adjustments									4,134,000,000	3,986,000,000	3,836,000,000
Total Assets	15,192,000,000				13,563,000,000				15,192,000,000	13,563,000,000
Reportable segments | Minimally Invasive Therapies Group
Segment Reporting Information
Total									9,919,000,000	9,563,000,000	2,387,000,000
Reportable segments' EBITA before other adjustments									3,434,000,000	3,373,000,000	775,000,000
Total Assets	49,249,000,000				52,227,000,000				49,249,000,000	52,227,000,000
Reportable segments | Restorative Therapies Group
Segment Reporting Information
Total									7,366,000,000	7,210,000,000	6,751,000,000
Reportable segments' EBITA before other adjustments									2,868,000,000	2,671,000,000	2,445,000,000
Total Assets	15,441,000,000				14,564,000,000				15,441,000,000	14,564,000,000
Reportable segments | Diabetes Group
Segment Reporting Information
Total									1,927,000,000	1,864,000,000	1,762,000,000
Reportable segments' EBITA before other adjustments									690,000,000	667,000,000	663,000,000
Total Assets	2,641,000,000				2,592,000,000				2,641,000,000	2,592,000,000
Segment reconciling items
Segment Reporting Information
Impact of inventory step-up									(38,000,000)	(226,000,000)	(623,000,000)
Impact of product technology upgrade commitment									0	0	(74,000,000)
Special charge (gain), net									(100,000,000)	(70,000,000)	38,000,000
Restructuring charges, net									(373,000,000)	(299,000,000)	(252,000,000)
Certain litigation charges									(300,000,000)	(26,000,000)	(42,000,000)
Acquisition-related items									(230,000,000)	(283,000,000)	(550,000,000)
Interest expense, net									(728,000,000)	(955,000,000)	(280,000,000)
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information
Corporate									(1,232,000,000)	(1,394,000,000)	$ (923,000,000)
Total Assets	17,293,000,000				16,698,000,000				17,293,000,000	16,698,000,000
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Patient Care, Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Nutritional Insufficiency Business
Segment Reporting Information
Assets held for sale	$ 6,290,000,000				$ 0				$ 6,290,000,000	$ 0