Plasma progesterone and prolactin changes in superovulated women before, during, and immediately after laparoscopy for in vitro fertilization and their relation to pregnancy.

To define changes in peripheral plasma progesterone (P) and prolactin (PRL) levels in relation to oocyte recovery for in vitro fertilization (IVF), the authors studied these hormones in 20 women before, during, and after oocyte recovery for IVF. The patients were superovulated with clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotropin and underwent general anesthesia (19 women) or epidural anesthesia (1 woman) and laparoscopy for follicular aspiration. One half of the women were given bromocriptine to control PRL levels during anesthesia. There was a marked drop in P levels (mean decrease of 76%) within the 2 hours after induction of anesthesia and follicular aspiration. PRL levels rapidly rose in patients not treated with bromocriptine. Four of the 20 patients became pregnant after embryo transfer, and in these women P levels were significantly higher than in nonpregnant patients before and during oocyte recovery. Changes in PRL levels and P levels during oocyte retrieval were not related to the occurrence of pregnancy.