GIFT
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The initials GIFT stand for gamete intra-fallopian transfer (gametes are reproductive cells — eggs and sperm). A by-product of IVF research, the procedure is suitable for women with normal fallopian tubes and is most commonly used to treat unexplained infertility.
In the initial stages, this follows many of the same steps as IVF. For example, the ovaries are stimulated (superovulated) and mature eggs are removed. But, instead of attempting fertilisation in a dish, egg and sperm are placed in a fallopian tube in the hope that they will mate "naturally". Because the transfer takes place within minutes of the egg extraction, it obviates the need for a second surgical procedure. This is how it works.
The eggs are examined under a microscope and the best are selected. (In most units, a maximum of two eggs are used at any one time to reduce the possibility of multiple pregnancy.) Meanwhile, scientists have been busy choosing top-grade sperm from your partner's ejaculation.
The eggs are drawn up into a catheter and a tiny air bubble is inserted to keep them apart from the sperm which will be added next. Sometimes, the sperm are divided into two portions, with the first half being placed in the catheter before the eggs, an air bubble added, followed by the eggs, another air bubble, then the rest of the sperm. The air bubbles are to ensure that an over-eager sperm doesn't penetrate one of the eggs before the gametes have been placed in a fallopian tube.
The catheter is introduced directly into a fallopian tube, either through the abdominal incision or transvaginally, depending on which extraction method has been used (see IVF), and the gametes are deposited there
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