BLIND TRANSVAGINAL GAMETE INTRAFALLOPIAN TRANSFER IN DISTAL TUBAL ANDPERITUBAL PATHOLOGY - AN EVALUATION IN RESPECT TO THE LAPAROSCOPIC APPROACH

Transvaginal gamete intra-Fallopian transfer (GIFT) is a new treatment modality for patients with proven tubal patency, avoiding invasive la paroscopy. In this study 79 cycles of standard laparoscopic GIFT (grou p 1) were analysed in comparison to 40 cycles of transvaginal intratub al gamete transfer guided by tactile sensation (group 2). GIFT in grou p 1 was performed for standard indications; patients with severe intra -abdominal adhesions, distal tubal pathology, peritubal adhesions or e xtreme obesity were included in group 2. No difference in mean age, du ration of infertility, oestradiol level and number of oocytes was foun d. In group 1 a clinical pregnancy rate of 33% per GIFT cycle (n = 79) was achieved. The clinical pregnancy rate in group 2 was 17.5% per ga mete transfer cycle. In conclusion, transvaginal GIFT offers an accept able chance for in-vivo fertilization to patients who cannot be treate d laparoscopically despite having patent tubes and who refuse in-vitro fertilization.