Note 15 - Stock-based Compensation (Details Textual) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
Jul. 22, 2021	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Expense		$ 9.4	$ 7.9	$ 11.5
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Gross (in shares)		1,490,266	3,005,964	623,272
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Grants in Period, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value (in dollars per share)		$ 2.40	$ 0.53	$ 21.23
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Nonvested Award, Cost Not yet Recognized, Amount, Total		$ 4.0
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Nonvested Award, Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition (Year)		1 year 6 months
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Expense		$ 4.8	$ 1.7	$ 3.2
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Nonvested Award, Cost Not yet Recognized, Amount, Total		$ 4.3
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Nonvested Award, Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition (Year)		1 year 3 months 18 days
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Award Vesting Period (Year)		2 years	3 years
Performance Shares [Member]
Share-based Payment Arrangement, Expense		$ 0.9	$ 0.1
Asensus Surgical, Inc. Amended and Restated Incentive Compensation Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Additional Shares Authorized (in shares)	22,000,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized (in shares)		32,072,308
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant (in shares)		20,755,273
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Expiration Period (Year)		10 years

Amount of expense for award under share-based payment arrangement. Excludes amount capitalized.

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Amount of cost not yet recognized for nonvested award under share-based payment arrangement.

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Weighted-average period over which cost not yet recognized is expected to be recognized for award under share-based payment arrangement, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Period over which grantee's right to exercise award under share-based payment arrangement is no longer contingent on satisfaction of service or performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Includes, but is not limited to, combination of market, performance or service condition.

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Number of additional shares authorized for issuance under share-based payment arrangement.

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The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

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Gross number of share options (or share units) granted during the period.

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The weighted average grant-date fair value of options granted during the reporting period as calculated by applying the disclosed option pricing methodology.

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Period from grant date that an equity-based award expires, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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