Physicians’ portrayal of robotic prostatectomy within specific clinical categories. The percentage of statements in which the physician portrayed robotic prostatectomy as inferior, equivalent, or superior to open prostatectomy when robotic surgery was available versus unavailable. There was a significant relationship between how physicians described robotic prostatectomy and the availability of robotic surgery (χ2 (2) = 11.22, p = .004). When robotic surgery was available, physicians more frequently described robotic prostatectomy as superior versus equivalent (χ2 (1) = 6.23, p = .013) and superior versus inferior (χ2 (1) = 8.06, p = .005). Physicians did not differ in their likelihood of describing robotic prostatectomy as equivalent versus inferior as a function of the robot’s availability (χ2 (1) = 1.65, p = .20).