Gamete Intra-Fallopian (GIFT)

GIFT is an ART procedure indicated for women with normal fallopian tubes and normal sperm, for couples with specific emotional and religious concerns. As with other ART procedures, GIFT requires ovarian stimulation.

A woman undergoing GIFT is given fertility drugs to enhance the growth of the ovarian follicles, so she can develop more mature eggs. HMG (Human Menopausal Gonadotropin) and recombinant FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) are the fertility drugs used to stimulate the production of follicles. These developing follicles are monitored for their maturity by measuring the follicle size through an ultra sound and correlate the finding with the blood concentration of the patient's estradiol drawn the same day.

A semen sample from the husband is obtained approximately two to three hours before the surgery. It is then washed and prepared to obtain vigorous motile sperm.

After ovulation induction is achieved, a woman's eggs are retrieved by needle aspiration with the guide of an ultrasound probe under a light sedation. Egg retrieval procedure takes about 30-45 minutes. The aspirated follicular fluid (containing the eggs) is placed in a laboratory dish and the eggs are observed under the microscope for maturity and quality. Mature eggs are pooled with a carefully measured quantity of sperm in the fluid drawn from the follicles. These gametes are loaded into a fine catheter and then introduced into the woman's fallopian tubes(s) during laparoscopy. With GIFT, fertilization occurs 'naturally' within the woman's fallopian tubes (not in the laboratory as in IVF). The resulting embryos move down into the uterus for implantation according to a normal time table.

Unfortunately, GIFT doesn't allow for conformation of fertilization because it occurs inside the tubes.