Routine Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT): A Highly Successful Option for Treatment of Non-Tubal Infertility

Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) is increasingly accepted as a realistic alternative to in vitro fertilization (IVF), or intrauterine insemination (IUI) for treatment of non-tubal infertility. The lack of information on fertilization capacity of the gametes, the greater cost relative to IUI, and the partly unsubstantiated claims of higher success rates, caused us some concern with the readiness with which GIFT had been accepted as a standard infertility treatment. So we undertook a provisional GIFT programme with these considerations in mind, and we report on the first 91 GIFT cycles performed in our clinic. Sixty of the patients (62 cycles) treated suffered from idiopathic infertility, 12 from minimal endometriosis, 9 from male factor infertility, and 8 from ovulatory dysfunction. An initial clinical pregnancy rate of 41% (38/91) was achieved; pregnancy loss was 23% (9/38), giving a continuing pregnancy rate of 32% (29/91). Given this undeniably encouraging result, and the potential for diagnostic IVF, embryo freezing, and ovum donation with surplus oocytes collected from this GIFT programme, we now have adopted GIFT permanently as a treatment to complement our IVF and IUI programmes.