[Prolonged functional disturbance of prolactin secretion after surgery under neuroleptanalgesia]

Plasma level of prolactin and its response to the injection of haloperidol were measured in nine women before and after elective gynecological surgery under neuroleptanalgesia using dextromoramidedroperidol combination. The day before the operation, the injection of haloperidol 0.25 mg intramuscularly increases the concentration of PRL by 5.4 +/- 1.9 mg/ml, while this response is completely abolished the day following the operation. Two days later, a tenfold increase in the dose of haloperidol (2.5 mg I.M.) is necessary to obtain a PRL response that equals that observed pre-operatively (5.8 +/- 1.2 ng/ml). The low plasma levels observed 24 and 48 hours post-operatively compared to the pre-operative level, illustrate a prolonged functional disturbance of the secretion of PRL.