LAPAROSCOPICALLY ASSISTED GAMETE INTRAFALLOPIAN TRANSFER WITH LOCAL-ANESTHESIA AND INTRAVENOUS SEDATION

Objective: To determine the length of procedure, length of recovery, p atient tolerance, complications, and pregnancy rate (PR) of laparoscop ically assisted GIFT performed during local anesthesia with IV sedatio n. Design: A retrospective study. Setting: Freestanding private ambula tory surgical center. Patients: Thirty-one consecutive couples with in fertility. Interventions: Laparoscopically assisted GIFT during local anesthesia with IV sedation. Main Outcome Measures: Surgery time, reco very time, patient tolerance, PR, miscarriage rate, and complications. Results: Cannulation of at least one fallopian tube was achieved succ essfully in all patients. The average surgery time was 64 +/- 12 minut es (mean +/- SD). The average recovery time was 92 +/- 30 minutes. The PR was 39% with an ongoing PR of 32%. There. were no intraoperative o r postoperative complications. Conclusion: Local anesthesia with IV se dation for GIFT using a two-puncture laparoscopic technique was well t olerated by the patients. Our ongoing PR of 32% compares very favorabl y with other series using general anesthesia.