Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) shares advanced after the company announced a patient awareness collaboration with Deion Sanders, known as Coach Prime, focused on robotic-assisted surgery education.

ISRG rose 5.82% to $357.15 after climbing sharply during the trading session. The initiative is intended to improve public understanding of robotic-assisted surgery and encourage more informed discussions between patients and physicians before treatment decisions are made.

Intuitive launches patient education effort with Coach Prime

Intuitive announced a new awareness campaign featuring Coach Prime to help patients learn more about robotic-assisted surgery and the surgical choices available to them. The company said the effort is designed to support conversations among patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.

The campaign follows Sanders’ bladder cancer diagnosis and his subsequent robotic-assisted surgery using a da Vinci surgical system. Sanders chose the procedure after reviewing available treatment options with his physician. Intuitive is using that experience as part of the campaign to raise awareness among future patients considering surgical care.

The company said many patients have difficulty finding reliable information about robotic-assisted surgery before making treatment decisions. Through the campaign, Intuitive plans to provide educational resources intended to help patients feel more prepared when discussing surgery with healthcare providers. That context is important because robotic-assisted surgery is not a single procedure or a universal treatment choice; whether it is appropriate depends on the diagnosis, the available clinical options, the surgeon’s training, and patient-specific risks.

Campaign focuses on informed surgical decisions

Intuitive said surgical decisions can be emotional and time-sensitive for patients and their families. The company said better access to medical information can help patients take part in more informed conversations with doctors before selecting a treatment approach.

Chief Medical Officer Jaime Wong said informed patients generally have more meaningful discussions with physicians before surgery. Intuitive said patient stories can help make complex healthcare decisions easier to understand. The campaign emphasizes education rather than treatment promotion.

Patients seeking additional information can access educational materials through Intuitive’s da Vinci surgery platform. The resources explain robotic-assisted surgery and common considerations around treatment decisions. They also encourage patients to speak with qualified healthcare providers before choosing any surgical procedure.

Da Vinci procedures surpass 20 million worldwide

Intuitive remains a major provider of robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery through its da Vinci surgical systems. According to the company, surgeons have completed more than 20 million procedures using the da Vinci platform worldwide, reflecting continued adoption across multiple surgical specialties.

The company says trained surgeons can use robotic-assisted systems to perform procedures with greater precision and less invasiveness. Depending on the operation, patients may experience fewer complications and shorter recovery periods. However, Intuitive notes that outcomes depend on patient conditions and physician judgment.

The collaboration comes as healthcare companies continue to increase patient education efforts before treatment decisions. For Intuitive, broader public understanding of robotic-assisted surgery also supports the company’s wider effort to explain how da Vinci systems are used in clinical settings while keeping treatment decisions between patients and medical professionals. The announcement coincided with ISRG shares closing 5.82% higher at $357.15 after strong trading activity.