Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is a tool of
assisted reproductive technology against
infertility. Eggs are removed from a woman's ovaries, and placed in one of the
Fallopian tubes, along with the man's sperm. The technique, first attempted by
Steptoe and
Edwards and later pioneered by endocrinologist
Ricardo Asch, allows fertilization to take place inside the woman's uterus.
With the advances in IVF the GIFT procedure is used less as pregnancy rates in
IVF
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating an individual's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) f ...
tend to be equal or better and do not require
laparoscopy
Laparoscopy () is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis using small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few small cuts in the abdomen.Medlin ...
when the egg is put back.
Method
It takes, on average, four to six weeks to complete a cycle of GIFT. First, the woman must take a fertility drug to stimulate egg production in the
ovaries
The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. T ...
. The doctor will monitor the growth of the ovarian follicles, and once they are mature, the woman will be injected with
human chorionic gonadotropin
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone for the maternal recognition of pregnancy produced by trophoblast cells that are surrounding a growing embryo (syncytiotrophoblast initially), which eventually forms the placenta after implantatio ...
(hCG). The eggs will be harvested approximately 36 hours later, mixed with the man's sperm, and placed back into the woman's
Fallopian tubes
The fallopian tubes, also known as uterine tubes, oviducts or salpinges (singular salpinx), are paired tubes in the human female that stretch from the uterus to the ovaries. The fallopian tubes are part of the female reproductive system. In ot ...
using a
laparoscope
Laparoscopy () is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis using small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few small cuts in the abdomen.Medl ...
.
Indications
A woman must have at least one normal fallopian tube in order for GIFT to be suitable. It is used in instances where the fertility problem relates to sperm dysfunction, and where the couple has idiopathic (unknown cause) infertility. Some patients may prefer the procedure to
IVF
In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a process of fertilisation where an egg is combined with sperm in vitro ("in glass"). The process involves monitoring and stimulating an individual's ovulatory process, removing an ovum or ova (egg or eggs) f ...
for ethical reasons, since the fertilization takes place inside the body. This is a semi invasive procedure and requires laparoscopy.
Success rate
As with most fertility procedures, success depends on the couple's age and the woman's egg quality. It is estimated that approximately 25–30% of GIFT cycles result in pregnancy, with a third of those being twins or triplets, etc.
The First GIFT baby in the UK was Todd Holden born in October 1986. The first application of this method in Latin America was held in Argentina on 13 May 1986, and was led by Dr. Ricardo Asch, the treatment was successfully completed with the birth of Manuel Campo Lopez.
In Venezuela, the first GIFT babies were Luis Hernández, Rosa Helena Hernández and Luisa Hernández, who were born on 24 June 1987 and were also the first triplets to be born using the GIFT method.
Bioethical issues
Gamete intrafallopian transfer is not technically ''in vitro'' fertilisation because with GIFT, fertilisation takes place inside the body, not on a petri dish. Some Catholic moral theologians are nevertheless concerned with it because they "consider this to be a replacement of the marital act, and therefore immoral."
See also
*
Zygote intrafallopian transfer
Zygote intra fallopian transfer (ZIFT) is an infertility treatment used when a blockage in the fallopian tubes prevents the normal binding of sperm to the egg. Egg cells are removed from a woman's ovaries, and in vitro fertilised. The resulting ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer
Assisted reproductive technology
Fertility medicine
Human reproduction