Sanders, who spent 14 years in the NFL and nine years in the MLB, now serves as head football coach at the University of Colorado. He received a bladder cancer diagnosis in 2025 and chose to undergo robotic surgery with the leading Intuitive da Vinci platform.
Now, Sanders wants to increase patient awareness and the understanding of surgical options, including robotic-assisted surgery. With Intuitive, he hopes to support more informed conversations between patients and their physicians to enable more confident decision-making.
“When I was diagnosed, I learned quickly that you have choices when it comes to surgery, but not every patient knows to ask about them,” said Sanders. “I want to inspire others to talk with their doctors, ask questions, and understand what’s possible.”
The Sunnyvale, California–based surgical robotics leader reports more than 20 million patients worldwide receiving operations using da Vinci systems. Its collaboration with Sanders could provide even more treatment to more patients.
“Patients deserve to understand the surgical options available to them and how those options may align with what matters most in their lives,” said Dr. Jaime Wong, chief medical officer at Intuitive. “Hearing how others navigated similar decisions can help make complex choices feel more tangible and less overwhelming. When patients are informed, they have more meaningful conversations with their physicians and make decisions with greater confidence.”
