Overview
- A year after a routine CT last spring found a high‑risk malignant bladder mass, Sanders said he considers himself cancer‑free following a robotic radical cystectomy and intestinal reconstruction.
- Dr. Janet Kukreja at the University of Colorado performed the surgery using the Intuitive Da Vinci robotic system, which removed the bladder and recreated a continent reservoir from a segment of intestine.
- Sanders credited the robotic approach with a faster hospital discharge and quicker recovery, saying it got him back to coaching and that he now appears fitter and more energetic.
- He missed Colorado's summer camps during treatment and the Buffaloes went 3‑9 last season, but Sanders is back full time this offseason and preparing the team for the 2026 campaign.
- Robotic radical cystectomy with continent intestinal reconstruction is done by a limited number of surgeons in the U.S., and Sanders is using Men's Health Awareness Month to encourage patients to consider the less‑invasive option because it may shorten hospital stays and speed recovery.