Interest Expense, Net (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Jul. 25, 2014	Jul. 26, 2013
Interest Income and Interest Expense
Interest Income	$ (92)	$ (50)
Interest Expense	97	90
Interest expense, net	$ 5	$ 40

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.

No definition available.

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