-- None. No documentation exists for this element. --

No definition available.

Name:	mdt_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationAtFairValueRollForward
Namespace Prefix:	mdt_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Contingent milestone payments in business acquisition transactions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mdt_BusinessAcquisitionContingentConsiderationMilestonePayment
Namespace Prefix:	mdt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of contingent consideration arrangement resulting from business combinations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mdt_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceContingentConsideration
Namespace Prefix:	mdt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of likelihood a loan will be repaid, used as an input to measure fair value.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mdt_FairValueInputsProbabilityOfPayment
Namespace Prefix:	mdt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) in the value of a contingent consideration liability, including, but not limited to, differences arising upon settlement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e7008-128479

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationArrangementsChangeInAmountOfContingentConsiderationLiability1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of liability recognized arising from contingent consideration in a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 35
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph b
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911338&loc=d3e6819-128478

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 25
-Paragraph 6
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911189&loc=d3e6408-128476

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationContingentConsiderationLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Interest rate used to find the present value of an amount to be paid or received in the future as an input to measure fair value. For example, but not limited to, weighted average cost of capital (WACC), cost of capital, cost of equity and cost of debt.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (bbb)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueInputsLiabilitiesQuantitativeInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContingentConsiderationByTypeAxis=mdt_RevenueMilestoneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementFrequencyAxis=us-gaap_FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis=us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel3Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ValuationTechniqueAxis=mdt_DiscountedCashFlowValuationTechniqueMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MinimumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RangeAxis=us-gaap_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContingentConsiderationByTypeAxis=mdt_ProductDevelopmentMilestoneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Acquisitions and Acquisition-Related Items - Contingent Consideration (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jan. 29, 2016	Jan. 23, 2015	Jan. 29, 2016	Jan. 23, 2015
Fair Value Inputs, Liabilities, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Contingent Consideration, Fair Value	$ 368	$ 91	$ 264	$ 68
Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balances of Contingent Milestone Payments Associated with Acquisitions [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	368	91	264	68
Purchase price contingent consideration	14	6	149	29
Contingent consideration payments	(2)	0	(22)	(5)
Change in fair value of contingent consideration	(9)	(4)	(20)	1
Ending Balance	371	$ 93	371	$ 93
Revenue-based payments [Member] \| Recurring [Member] \| Level 3 [Member] \| Discounted cash flow [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Liabilities, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Contingent Consideration, Fair Value	191		191
Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balances of Contingent Milestone Payments Associated with Acquisitions [Roll Forward]
Ending Balance	191		$ 191
Revenue-based payments [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Recurring [Member] \| Level 3 [Member] \| Discounted cash flow [Member]
Fair Value Inputs
Discount rate			11.00%
Probability of payment			30.00%
Revenue-based payments [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Recurring [Member] \| Level 3 [Member] \| Discounted cash flow [Member]
Fair Value Inputs
Discount rate			27.20%
Probability of payment			100.00%
Product development-based payments [Member] \| Recurring [Member] \| Level 3 [Member] \| Discounted cash flow [Member]
Fair Value Inputs, Liabilities, Quantitative Information [Line Items]
Contingent Consideration, Fair Value	180		$ 180
Reconciliation of Beginning and Ending Balances of Contingent Milestone Payments Associated with Acquisitions [Roll Forward]
Ending Balance	$ 180		$ 180
Product development-based payments [Member] \| Minimum [Member] \| Recurring [Member] \| Level 3 [Member] \| Discounted cash flow [Member]
Fair Value Inputs
Discount rate			0.30%
Probability of payment			75.00%
Product development-based payments [Member] \| Maximum [Member] \| Recurring [Member] \| Level 3 [Member] \| Discounted cash flow [Member]
Fair Value Inputs
Discount rate			5.50%
Probability of payment			100.00%