Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Oct. 26, 2018	Apr. 27, 2018	Oct. 27, 2017	Apr. 28, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 3,911	$ 3,669	$ 5,529	$ 4,967
Investments	6,222	7,558
Accounts receivable, net	5,743	5,987
Inventories, net	3,763	3,579
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Other current assets	2,014	2,187
Total current assets	21,653	22,980
Property, plant, and equipment, net	4,536	4,604
Goodwill	38,605	39,543
Other intangible assets, net	20,819	21,723
Tax assets	1,414	1,465
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Other assets	1,123	1,078
Total assets	88,150	91,393
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	1,343	2,058
Accounts payable	1,742	1,628
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation	1,663	1,988
Accrued income taxes	536	979
Other accrued expenses	3,179	3,431
Total current liabilities	8,463	10,084
Long-term debt	23,673	23,699
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	1,301	1,425
Accrued income taxes	2,950	3,051
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Deferred tax liabilities	1,325	1,423
Other liabilities	724	889
Total liabilities	38,436	40,571
Shareholders’ equity	49,607	50,720
Noncontrolling interests	107	102
Total equity	49,714	50,822	51,578	50,416
Total liabilities and equity	88,150	91,393
Consolidating Adjustments | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	(153)	(125)
Intercompany receivable	(41,868)	(57,446)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(42,021)	(57,571)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(199,446)	(195,427)
Intercompany loans receivable	(65,856)	(63,052)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(307,323)	(316,050)
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	(41,868)	(57,446)
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Other accrued expenses	0	0
Total current liabilities	(41,868)	(57,446)
Long-term debt	0	0
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(65,856)	(63,052)
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(107,724)	(120,498)
Shareholders’ equity	(199,599)	(195,552)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(199,599)	(195,552)
Total liabilities and equity	(307,323)	(316,050)
Consolidating Adjustments | CIFSA Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Intercompany receivable	(10,519)	(6,940)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(10,519)	(6,940)
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(155,535)	(151,652)
Intercompany loans receivable	(45,971)	(43,064)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(212,025)	(201,656)
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	(10,519)	(6,940)
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Other accrued expenses	0	0
Total current liabilities	(10,519)	(6,940)
Long-term debt	0	0
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(45,971)	(43,064)
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(56,490)	(50,004)
Shareholders’ equity	(155,535)	(151,652)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(155,535)	(151,652)
Total liabilities and equity	(212,025)	(201,656)
Medtronic plc | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Intercompany receivable	67	37
Other current assets	11	6
Total current assets	78	43
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	61,711	60,381
Intercompany loans receivable	3,000	3,000
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	64,789	63,424
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation	9	3
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Other accrued expenses	20	16
Total current liabilities	29	19
Long-term debt	0	0
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	10	10
Intercompany loans payable	15,143	12,675
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	15,182	12,704
Shareholders’ equity	49,607	50,720
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	49,607	50,720
Total liabilities and equity	64,789	63,424
Medtronic plc | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Intercompany receivable	67	37
Other current assets	11	6
Total current assets	78	43
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	61,711	60,381
Intercompany loans receivable	3,000	3,000
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	64,789	63,424
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation	9	3
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Other accrued expenses	20	16
Total current liabilities	29	19
Long-term debt	0	0
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	10	10
Intercompany loans payable	15,143	12,675
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	15,182	12,704
Shareholders’ equity	49,607	50,720
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	49,607	50,720
Total liabilities and equity	64,789	63,424
Subsidiary Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	24	20	47	45
Investments	0	76
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	181	165
Intercompany receivable	13,184	23,480
Other current assets	172	178
Total current assets	13,561	23,919
Property, plant, and equipment, net	1,431	1,426
Goodwill	1,883	1,883
Other intangible assets, net	24	12
Tax assets	418	385
Investment in subsidiaries	75,089	73,585
Intercompany loans receivable	6,535	6,519
Other assets	264	223
Total assets	99,205	107,952
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	458	381
Intercompany payable	19,544	28,401
Accrued compensation	709	787
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Other accrued expenses	419	359
Total current liabilities	21,130	29,928
Long-term debt	20,602	20,598
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	822	902
Accrued income taxes	627	531
Intercompany loans payable	14,332	14,339
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	54	68
Total liabilities	57,567	66,366
Shareholders’ equity	41,638	41,586
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	41,638	41,586
Total liabilities and equity	99,205	107,952
Subsidiary Issuer | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	33
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	32,486	31,149
Intercompany loans receivable	1,081	1,291
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	33,567	32,440
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	1,295	1,283
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Other accrued expenses	21	21
Total current liabilities	1,316	1,304
Long-term debt	2,100	2,111
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	99	100
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	3,515	3,515
Shareholders’ equity	30,052	28,925
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	30,052	28,925
Total liabilities and equity	33,567	32,440
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	495	1	822	5
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	495	1
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	62,646	61,461
Intercompany loans receivable	22,128	19,337
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	85,269	80,799
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	1,000	1,696
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	9,073	5,542
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Other accrued expenses	4	4
Total current liabilities	10,077	7,242
Long-term debt	845	844
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	19,661	19,335
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	30,583	27,421
Shareholders’ equity	54,686	53,378
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	54,686	53,378
Total liabilities and equity	85,269	80,799
Subsidiary Guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	496	1	823	5
Investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Inventories, net	0	0
Intercompany receivable	1,356	1,343
Other current assets	1	0
Total current assets	1,853	1,344
Property, plant, and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Tax assets	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	61,338	60,122
Intercompany loans receivable	22,128	19,337
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	85,319	80,803
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	1,000	1,696
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	9,072	5,542
Accrued compensation	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Other accrued expenses	8	8
Total current liabilities	10,080	7,246
Long-term debt	845	844
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	0	0
Accrued income taxes	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	19,663	19,335
Deferred tax liabilities	0	0
Other liabilities	1	0
Total liabilities	30,589	27,425
Shareholders’ equity	54,730	53,378
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	54,730	53,378
Total liabilities and equity	85,319	80,803
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | Medtronic Senior Notes and Medtronic Luxco Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	3,392	3,648	4,660	4,917
Investments	6,222	7,482
Accounts receivable, net	5,743	5,987
Inventories, net	3,735	3,539
Intercompany receivable	28,617	33,929
Other current assets	1,831	2,003
Total current assets	49,540	56,588
Property, plant, and equipment, net	3,105	3,178
Goodwill	36,722	37,660
Other intangible assets, net	20,795	21,711
Tax assets	996	1,080
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	34,193	34,196
Other assets	859	855
Total assets	146,210	155,268
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	343	362
Accounts payable	1,284	1,247
Intercompany payable	13,251	23,503
Accrued compensation	945	1,198
Accrued income taxes	536	979
Other accrued expenses	2,736	3,052
Total current liabilities	19,095	30,341
Long-term debt	2,226	2,257
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	479	523
Accrued income taxes	2,313	2,510
Intercompany loans payable	16,720	16,703
Deferred tax liabilities	1,325	1,423
Other liabilities	670	821
Total liabilities	42,828	54,578
Shareholders’ equity	103,275	100,588
Noncontrolling interests	107	102
Total equity	103,382	100,690
Total liabilities and equity	146,210	155,268
Subsidiary Non-guarantors | Reportable Legal Entities | CIFSA Senior Notes
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	3,415	3,668	$ 4,706	$ 4,929
Investments	6,222	7,558
Accounts receivable, net	5,743	5,987
Inventories, net	3,763	3,579
Intercompany receivable	9,096	5,560
Other current assets	2,002	2,181
Total current assets	30,241	28,533
Property, plant, and equipment, net	4,536	4,604
Goodwill	38,605	39,543
Other intangible assets, net	20,819	21,723
Tax assets	1,414	1,465
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	19,762	19,436
Other assets	1,123	1,078
Total assets	116,500	116,382
Current liabilities:
Current debt obligations	343	362
Accounts payable	1,742	1,628
Intercompany payable	152	115
Accrued compensation	1,654	1,985
Accrued income taxes	536	979
Other accrued expenses	3,130	3,386
Total current liabilities	7,557	8,455
Long-term debt	20,728	20,744
Accrued compensation and retirement benefits	1,301	1,425
Accrued income taxes	2,940	3,041
Intercompany loans payable	11,066	10,954
Deferred tax liabilities	1,325	1,423
Other liabilities	723	889
Total liabilities	45,640	46,931
Shareholders’ equity	70,753	69,349
Noncontrolling interests	107	102
Total equity	70,860	69,451
Total liabilities and equity	$ 116,500	$ 116,382