Sept. 03 -2010 All About Women's Health - Pregnancy Articles

Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT) And Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT)
By Sandra B Wilson

Recommended Reading
Slim & Healthy Pregnancy.
How To Keep Excess Weight Off &
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Both Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer and Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer are ART procedures, which involve removing the woman's eggs, mixing them with the male's sperm, and implanting them in the woman's Fallopian tubes. One significant difference between the two procedures is that with the first fertilization takes place outside the body, and with the latter, fertilization takes place inside the body. Typically, in both cases, the woman takes a fertility drug to stimulate egg production in her ovaries.
Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer (ZIFT) is considered the most invasive of all ART fertility treatments, with less than 1% of people using ART, choosing this treatment.
During Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer, and once the eggs are mature, the woman is given an anesthetic by her doctor, and her eggs are removed from her ovaries. The doctor removes the eggs by inserting a needle through the vaginal wall, using an ultrasound to find the eggs. The removed eggs are fertilized with the male's sperm in a laboratory, in vitro. About a day later, each of your fertilized eggs will be a ball of cells - a developing embryo called a zygote.
The woman then undergoes minor surgery to have up to four zygotes inserted into her fallopian tubes. The doctor makes a small incision in her abdomen, using a fiber-thin tube called a laparoscope. Any extra zygotes may be frozen in case this cycle of Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer doesn't succeed.
If the treatment works, a zygote will travel through the fallopian tube and implant itself in the uterus, where it grows into a baby. In about 35% of ZIFT pregnancies, women give birth to multiples.
Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer (GIFT) is a semi-invasive procedure, which requires a laproscopy. It is used in cases where the fertility problem relates to sperm dysfunction, and where the case of infertility is unknown. With Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer, the woman's eggs are removed from her ovaries, and placed in one of the Fallopian tubes, along with the man's sperm.
The doctor monitors the growth of the ovarian follicles. When the woman's eggs are mature, she is injected with Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The eggs are then harvested about 36 hours later, and mixed with the male's sperm. Then they are placed back into the woman's Fallopian tubes using a laparoscope. At this stage, fertilization has not yet taken place, which means it will occur inside the body. It usually takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete a cycle of GIFT. A woman must have at least one normal fallopian tube for this procedure to be appropriate. It is estimated that 25-30% of GIFT cycles result in pregnancy, with a significant number of them being multiple pregnancies.
Many infertility specialists consider this procedure as an outdated one. This is because pregnancy rates with IVF tend to be equal or better and a laparoscopy is not required. Some patients, however, prefer Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer over IVF, because it allows the fertilization to take place inside the body, which is not the case with IVF.
You can find helpful information about zygote intrafallopian transfer and everything you need to know about gamete intrafallopian transfer at Aha! Baby.

Recommended Reading
Slim & Healthy Pregnancy.
How To Keep Excess Weight Off &
Maintain Good Health During And After Pregnancy.
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