Income Taxes (Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation) (Details)	8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Apr. 24, 2015	Apr. 25, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Statutory tax rate at U.S. Rate	0.00%	0.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Statutory tax rate at U.K. Rate	20.00%	20.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Change in Tax Rate	(8.50%)	5.10%	0.00%	0.00%
Change in deferred tax valuation allowance	(5.70%)	(39.40%)	0.00%	(4.40%)
Reduced tax benefit due to non-deductible transaction costs	(13.80%)	(8.00%)	0.00%	0.00%
Sale of Intellectual Property	0.00%	(13.70%)	0.00%	0.00%
Goodwill Impairment	0.00%	(32.00%)	0.00%	0.00%
Adjustment to Cyberonics BVBA NOL deferred tax asset resulting from the Belgium tax audit	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	7.30%
Adjustment to Cyberonics BVBA NOL deferred tax asset valuation allowance resulting from the Belgium tax audit	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	(7.30%)
State and local tax provision, net of federal benefit	(1.00%)	(6.50%)	2.70%	2.50%
Foreign tax rate differential	29.70%	(37.20%)	1.50%	0.50%
Notional interest deduction	7.90%	53.10%	0.00%	0.00%
U.S. Subpart F	5.10%	6.10%	(0.00%)	(0.00%)
Research and development tax credits	4.00%	6.60%	(2.10%)	(3.40%)
Gain on warrant liability	0.00%	42.80%
Reserve for uncertain tax positions	0.00%	(6.50%)	(1.50%)	0.00%
Domestic manufacturing deduction	2.00%	2.20%	(2.90%)	0.00%
Other, net	3.50%	(2.00%)	2.50%	1.10%
Effective tax rate	33.00%	(21.60%)	35.20%	31.30%