from the sample to have a more homogeneous group. The same physician

did all of the gastric bypass procedures. Of the 64 packets given to

the hand surgery patients, 25 were returned representing a 39% return,

and 3 were dropped for incomplete data. The 22 remaining subjects

included 12 patients who completed the McGill Questionnaire within 4

days of surgery, and 11 who were not recently postoperative but who were

being treated at the hand rehabilitation clinic after their surgery for

continued pain.

 Subjects


 The 55 volunteers who had either a gastric bypass procedure or hand

surgery were divided into three groups. Group I consisted of the 32

morbidly obese patients who had gastric bypass. Group II comprised the

12 patients having hand surgery and completing the McGill within 4 days.

Group III consisted of 11 patients not recently postoperative but having

hand rehabilitation treatment for continued pain. The mean age of the

55 patients was 40.5 years, with a range of 17-82. The sample was made

up of 41 females and 14 males.

 Instruments


 The instruments used in this study were the Myers-Briggs Type

 Indicator (MBTI) to assess personality type, the Millon Behavioral

 Health Inventory (MBHI) to control for psychogenic attitudes and assess

 coping styles, the Health History Questionnaire (HHQ) to assess the

 number of symptoms, the Wallston Health Locus of Control Scale to