What Is Gamete Intrafallopian Tube Transfer?

Gamete intrafallopian tube transfer or GIFT is one of the assisted reproductive technologies that include removing the woman’s egg and mixing it with the man’s sperm and immediately placing it in your fallopian tubes.

In this procedure, fertilization takes place inside of your fallopian tubes.

For the procedure to be successful, you should have healthy fallopian tubes.

GIFT may be suggested when there is a low sperm count, or sperm with poor motility (ability to move) and for couples with unexplained infertility.

Steps involved in GIFT procedure:

• You are suggested to take medications that can stimulate your ovaries to produce more number of eggs.


• Your eggs are collected with the help of an aspiration procedure.


• Immediately, four to five eggs are mixed with about 200,000 mobile sperm and placed in a special catheter.


• This mixture is transferred through a laparoscopic procedure, in which a catheter is placed in your fallopian tubes and the mixture is injected.


• The final step is waiting for pregnancy symptoms to appear. Blood test is performed to confirm your pregnancy.
  

Who can undergo the GIFT procedure?

GIFT can be received by anyone, except the one with:

• Significant tubal damage


• Tubal blockage


• An anatomic problem with the uterus, such as severe intrauterine adhesions
  

Generally, IVF is a best procedure for male factor infertility because it is less invasive and there is more control over the quality of the resulting embryos.

Complete GIFT cycle takes four to six weeks. With GIFT, egg retrieval and gamete transfer happens in the same operation. You will be discharged the same day of the surgery.

The success rate of GIFT depends on your type of fertility problem and it is about 25 to 30%. Success rate is more with younger women as they have more eggs.

Are there any disadvantages of GIFT?

This procedure is not as widely used as IVF because it includes laparoscopic surgery. In IVF, embryo is transferred to the uterus via the vagina and cervix, which is a much less complicated procedure.

The probability of having twins or triplets is higher with GIFT than natural conception. With multiple pregnancies, there is greater risk of miscarriage.

Also, the use of fertility drugs for stimulating egg production can cause severe side effects. You need to be carefully monitored while taking them.

Other risk associated with GIFT procedure is ectopic pregnancy, in which embryo implants in your fallopian tubes or abdominal cavity instead of the uterus.