| Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT) |
In 1993, almost 5,000 GIFT procedures were performed, leading to 1,472 pregnancies and 1,182 deliveries.
As your physician will explain, the primary distinction between GIFT and IVF is that with GIFT fertilization occurs naturally within the woman's body instead of in the laboratory. GIFT involves placing a mixture of sperm and eggs directly into the woman's fallopian tubes where, hopefully, fertilization will take place.
GIFT is a three-stage procedure:
You will find that the initial steps of the principal ART procedures are the same. Your physician will first use ovarian stimulation to encourage the development of multiple oocytes to improve your chances for successful fertilization. While stimulation is occurring, your response to hormonal medications will be monitored and oocyte development will be accessed.
With GIFT, eggs are usually retrieved through laparoscopy. The sperm are prepared in advance, just as in IVF. The eggs are examined microscopically to determine maturity before they are combined with the sperm and transferred into the fallopian tubes during laparoscopy.
Once your physician has determined the eggs are ready for transfer, the sperm and eggs are placed together in a special catheter. While looking through the laparoscope, your physician inserts this catheter and injects the sperm and egg, or the gametes, directly into the fallopian tube.
The success rates for GIFT are quite promising. During 1993, there were nearly 1,200 deliveries in women using the GIFT procedure, and the overall success rate was almost 28.1% deliveries per retrieval. In 1997, the success rate has reached nearly 50%.
In terms of deliveries per retrieval, GIFT has a higher success rate than IVF regardless of a woman's age. This is true whether or not male factor infertility is present. Additionally, GIFT represents an alternative for patients whose religious beliefs prohibit contraception outside the body. This is because fertilization takes place within the fallopian tube. Although success rates with GIFT look higher than IVF success rates, it is important to keep in mind that different patient types undergo the two procedures.
GIFT requires that patients have at least one healthy fallopian tube. This is because the fallopian tube is where the gametes are transferred to for fertilization. In addition, GIFT always requires surgery for the gamete transfer. Lastly, GIFT does not allow for visual confirmation of fertilization because it occurs inside the body.