Gamete Intrafallopian Tube Transfer (GIFT)
Amos Grunebaum
What is a gamete intrafallopian tube transfer?
A gamete intrafallopian tube transfer (GIFT) is a laparoscopic procedure where eggs are removed by laparoscopy, mixed outside the body with sperm and injected into the fallopian tube with a catheter. The procedure can be completed on one day.
GIFT is a procedure which involves:
Stimulating a woman's eggs using medication
Performing a laparoscopy to remove eggs
Mixing the eggs with sperm outside the body inside a dish
Placing the sperm/egg mixture immediately into the fallopian tube with a small catheter.
Today, GIFT is considered outdated because IVF has a higher success rate and does not involve laparoscopic surgery.
What are the differences between GIFT and IVF?
GIFT has a lower success rate than IVF and requires functioning fallopian tubes.
GIFT does not involve embryo culture. This enables some patients to try getting pregnant without addressing the ethical concern about how many embryos to create or transfer.
IVF is more appropriate for women who have more severe infertility concerns such as low sperm count and fallopian tube problems.
In an IVF procedure, the best quality embryos can be selected on day 3 or day 5 for transfer, whereas GIFT places unfertilized eggs and sperm in the tubes.
In the GIFT procedure, the transfer of gametes into the tube requires an extra surgical procedure called laparoscopy.
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