GIFT

This is a technique by which eggs are retrieved and put together with the sperm in the fallopian tubes at the same moment they are retrieved,. This procedure is performed by laparoscopy and, as compared to IVF or ICSI, the main difference is that the embryos are formed in the tube and not in the laboratory. For this procedure the tubes are required to be healthy and the semen should not have severe disorders.

Procedure Steps

It basically consists of 4 steps:

1) Ovarian stimulation, with the purpose of producing a significant number of eggs. We always transfer 3-5 eggs, so that we might have a good chance of pregnancy with low chances of multiple pregnancy.

2) Egg retrieval, by laparoscopy. This may also be performed by means of a transvaginal ultrasound transducer fitted with a puncturing device.

3) Egg insemination with sperm (placing a number of concentrated motile sperm beside the eggs), which is done at the CEGYR laboratory.

4) Intra Fallopian transfer of oocytes and spermatozoa, consisting in placing both gametes in a catheter and introducing them into the Fallopian tubes by laparoscopy.

GIFT Patients

1) Patients with unexplained infertility.

2) Mild male factor problems.

3) Patients who do not agree with the concept of IVF (but have adequate semen and normal tubes)

GIFT Disadvantages

GIFT has been criticized mainly for not allowing to observe whether there was fertilization or not (since fertilization occurs in the tube). Consequently, if pregnancy should not occur, it is not possible to know what happened. On the other hand, FIV or ICSI allow to evaluate fertilization and the characteristics of embryos, which makes it possible to get a better understanding of the couple’s problem.

GIFT Pregnancy Rate

These techniques have a pregnancy rate of 35% per attempt in women under 38. Past this age the chances are significantly reduced.

GIFT Risks

Until today, no increase in malformations or genetic disorders have been observed in patients undergoing GIFT as compared to general population.
The main complications, ovarian hyperstimulation and multiple pregnancy, derive from ovarian stimulation.
In general, we perform a significant stimulation in order to obtain a large number of eggs. However in some very rare occasions, egg production is much higher than the one we are seeking for. This results in a condition known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, consisting of ovarian enlargement with accumulation of fluid in the belly, multiple kinds of discomfort and disorders in the blood test results. Very rarely does the patient have to be hospitalized and the syndrome is generally cured spontaneously.
The second complication, multiple pregnancies, also derives from an excessive stimulation. It is known that twin pregnancies are not considered a complication, for risks for the mother and babies are only slightly increased. However, pregnancies with triplets and more (high-order multiple pregnancies) really imply serious complications both for the pregnant woman and the babies. The delivery will be pre-term and the babies will be premature, with huge risks involved, weeks or months of NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and the possibility of permanent problems for the babies.
Anyway, although stimulation with GIFT is significant, all the eggs available in the ovaries are retrieved but only 2-4 eggs are transferred, depending on the woman’s age, and consequently the occurrence of high-order multiple pregnancies with this technique is extremely unusual.

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