Total assets pertaining to company's corporate operations.

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- Definition

Amount related to material litigation reserves and gains recognized in the period in the statement of earnings. Excludes the amount of expense provided in the period for legal fees.

+ Details

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- Definition

Corporate overhead expenses

+ Details

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- Definition

Net amount of interest expense or income. Interest expense includes the expense associated with the interest paid on outstanding borrowings, including short- and long-term instruments, and the amortization of debt issuance costs and debt discounts. Interest income includes interest earned on cash and cash equivalents, short- and long-term investments, the net realized gains or losses on the sale of available-for-sale securities, and the net realized and unrealized gains or losses on trading securities.

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- Definition

Amount of long-lived assets other than financial instruments, goodwill, other intangible assets, net, and long-term deferred tax assets, net, in which the entity holds in total.

+ Details

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- Definition

The amount of net assets (total assets less total liabilities).

+ Details

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- Definition

The following items are included within acquisition-related items: For business combinations prior to FY09, the amount of the purchase price that is allocated to in-process research and development (IPR&D) was expensed in the period acquired. Similarly, for transactions other than a business combination, such as asset acquisitions, IPR&D is expensed in the period acquired. Additionally, the change in the fair value of the contingent milestone consideration for the reporting period and certain-related acquisition costs, such as banker fees, legal fees, severance, and other professional fees.

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- Definition

Segment and Geographic Information By Region Line Items

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- Definition

Segment and Geographic Information Line Items

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- Definition

Segment Reporting Earnings Before Income Taxes Line Items

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- Definition

Segment Reporting Information Geographic Net Sales

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- Definition

Segment Reporting Information Net Sales

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- Definition

Segment Reporting Net Assets

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- Definition

Special charges relates to non-recurring charges, for more information see Note 3.

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- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the sum of short-term debt and current maturities of long-term debt and capital lease obligations, which are due within one year (or one business cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 19
-Article 5

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- Definition

Sum of operating profit and nonoperating income (expense) before income (loss) from equity method investments, income taxes, extraordinary items, cumulative effects of changes in accounting principles, and noncontrolling interest.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 08
-Paragraph h
-Subparagraph 1(i)
-Article 4

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- Definition

Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all long-term debt, which is debt initially having maturities due after one year from the balance sheet date or beyond the operating cycle, if longer, but excluding the portions thereof scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer plus capital lease obligations due to be paid more than one year after the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 22
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 6
-Section H

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- Definition

Amount charged against earnings in the period for incurred and estimated costs, excluding asset retirement obligations, associated with exit from or disposal of business activities or restructurings pursuant to a program that is planned and controlled by management, and materially changes either the scope of a business undertaken by an entity, or the manner in which that business is conducted.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 5
-Section P
-Subsection 3, 4

+ Details

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- Definition

Total revenue from sale of goods and services rendered during the reporting period, in the normal course of business, reduced by sales returns and allowances, and sales discounts.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 1
-Article 5

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of income or loss for the reportable segment before income taxes and extraordinary items.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 131
-Paragraph 27

+ Details

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- Definition

Amount of net assets (total assets less total liabilities) attributed to the reportable segment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 131
-Paragraph 28

+ Details

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Segment and Geographic Information (Details) (USD $) In Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Apr. 29, 2011	Jan. 28, 2011	Oct. 29, 2010	Jul. 30, 2010	Apr. 30, 2010	Jan. 29, 2010	Oct. 30, 2009	Jul. 31, 2009	Apr. 29, 2011	Apr. 30, 2010	Apr. 24, 2009
Segment and Geographic Information [Line Items]
Sales Revenue, Net	$ 4,295	$ 3,961	$ 3,903	$ 3,773	$ 4,196	$ 3,851	$ 3,838	$ 3,933	$ 15,933	$ 15,817	$ 14,599
Segment and Geographic Information By Region [Line Items]
Long Lived Assets	2,873				2,669				2,873	2,669	2,695
Segment Reporting Earnings Before Income Taxes [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Income (Loss) before Income Taxes									4,972	4,959	4,471
Special charges											(100)
Restructuring charges									(261)	(50)	(120)
Certain litigation charges, net									(245)	(374)	(714)
Acquisition-related items									(14)	(23)	(621)
Interest expense, net									(278)	(246)	(183)
Corporate									(451)	(297)	(293)
Total Earnings Before Income Taxes									3,723	3,969	2,440
Segment Reporting Net Assets [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	17,313				16,755				17,313	16,755
Short-term borrowings	(1,723)				(2,575)				(1,723)	(2,575)
Long-term debt	(8,112)				(6,944)				(8,112)	(6,944)
Corporate	8,490				7,393				8,490	7,393
Total Net Assets	15,968				14,629				15,968	14,629
Cardiac and Vascular Group [Member]
Segment Reporting Earnings Before Income Taxes [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Income (Loss) before Income Taxes									2,887	2,935	2,648
Cardiac and Vascular Group [Member]
Segment Reporting Net Assets [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	6,774				6,117				6,774	6,117
Cardiac and Vascular Group [Member]
Segment and Geographic Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information Net Sales									8,544	8,557	7,794
Restorative Therapies Group [Member]
Segment Reporting Earnings Before Income Taxes [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Income (Loss) before Income Taxes									2,085	2,024	1,823
Restorative Therapies Group [Member]
Segment Reporting Net Assets [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information, Net Assets	10,539				10,638				10,539	10,638
Restorative Therapies Group [Member]
Segment and Geographic Information [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information Net Sales									7,389	7,260	6,805
United States [Member]
Segment and Geographic Information By Region [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information Geographic Net Sales									9,120	9,366	8,987
Long Lived Assets	2,225				2,043				2,225	2,043	2,036
Europe [Member]
Segment and Geographic Information By Region [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information Geographic Net Sales									4,084	4,014	3,564
Long Lived Assets	415				393				415	393	482
Asia Pacific [Member]
Segment and Geographic Information By Region [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information Geographic Net Sales									2,114	1,903	1,558
Long Lived Assets	158				161				158	161	126
Other Foreign [Member]
Segment and Geographic Information By Region [Line Items]
Segment Reporting Information Geographic Net Sales									615	534	490
Long Lived Assets	$ 75				$ 72				$ 75	$ 72	$ 51