As per the study published in “Pain Research and Management”, oocyte pickup patients who were administered propofol experienced more pain compared to patients administered sevoflurane. Also, both propofol and sevoflurane exhibited distinct effects on adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), glucagon, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), cortisol, prostaglandin E2, and aldosterone levels in the blood and follicular fluid. Yavuz Orak et al. carried out this trial to explore the effects of sevoflurane and propofol on postsurgery pain and neuroendocrine stress hormones in oocyte pick-up patients.

Overall, 60 participants were randomly divided into either Group P (remifentanil/propofol, n=30) or Group S (remifentanil/sevoflurane, n=30) in this prospective, randomized controlled trial. For estimating serum ACTH, glucagon, aldosterone, CRH, prostaglandin E2, and cortisol levels, the preoperative blood samples were taken. The clinical parameters were examined intraoperatively and postoperatively at distinct time points. The levels of the hormone were again estimated in the blood and follicular fluid after surgery.

The presurgery serum aldosterone levels were considerably greater in group P. Presurgery and postsurgery serum ACTH, prostaglandin E2, glucagon, and cortisol levels were considerably distinct in group P; serum ACTH, glucagon, and prostaglandin E2  levels raised while the levels of serum cortisol declined after surgery. Patients in Group P experienced more pain during the intraoperative period.

In group S, a rise in levels of both aldosterone and  CRH was witnessed in the postoperative period.

Postsurgery, the levels of glucagon and prostaglandin E2  were both raised in group P compared to group S. In postsurgery follicular fluid, the levels of glucagon and prostaglandin E2  levels were elevated in group P. On the other hand, the levels of cortisol were elevated in group S.

Thus, propofol and sevoflurane exhibited different effects on neuroendocrine stress response and postsurgery pain in oocyte pickup individuals.