Influence of laparoscopic follicular aspiration under general anaesthesia on corpus luteum progesterone secretion in normal and clomiphene-stimulated cycles.

In 32 patients with unstimulated normal cycles and 24 with cycles stimulated with clomiphene and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) all visible follicles were punctured laparoscopically under general anaesthesia for the purpose of in vitro fertilization. In unstimulated cycles the time of surgery was between 24 and 32 h after the first luteinizing hormone (LH) increase in the urine; in the cycles stimulated with hCG (5000 i.u.) laparoscopy was between 35 and 37 h after injection. Blood samples for progesterone determination were taken about 7 days later. Progesterone levels were compared with those in a control group not subjected to surgery, in which the progesterone levels were determined 7 days after the LH increase. There was no statistically significant difference in the progesterone levels in the unstimulated subjects after laparoscopy compared with those in the control subjects but progesterone levels in the stimulated subjects were significantly higher (p less than 0.01). Durations of the luteal phases showed no significant differences thus laparoscopy under general anaesthesia does not impair luteal function.