title: Salivary progesterone concentrations after tubal sterilization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out if ovarian endocrine function is hampered by laparoscopic tubal sterilization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Salivary progesterone levels were measured in 55 women undergoing a laparoscopic tubal sterilization with Hulka or Filshie clips. The participants were 31-43 years old (mean 37) and were menstruating regularly. The saliva was collected every morning during three menstrual cycles: on the cycle preceding sterilization, and 3 and 12 months after the procedure. Salivary progesterone levels were determined by a radioimmunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total progesterone secreted in the luteal phase declined slowly after the sterilization, resulting in the lowest values 1 year after the procedure (1780 +/- 807 versus 2431 +/- 1187 pmol/L before surgery, P = .001). The luteal peak progesterone values were lowest 3 months after sterilization (277 +/- 137 pmol/L). Although the peak progesterone secretion seemed to have started to recover at 12 months (318 +/- 171 pmol/L), it was still significantly less than before surgery (378 +/- 150 pmol/L, P = .015). The length of the entire menstrual cycle and the lengths of the follicular and luteal phases were not affected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the menstrual pattern was not affected, laparoscopic tubal sterilization caused measureable changes in the luteal function. However, these changes may be temporary in nature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sumiala
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tuominen
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huhtaniemi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mäenpää
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D013246:Sterilization, Tubal
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone