ABSTRACT
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is demanding, expensive and inefficient. Nevertheless, tens of thousands of couples have undertaken the procedure because of their intense desire to have a biological child. Success with IVF has led to the development of the Gamete Intra-Faliopian Transfer (GIFT) procedure. The ovary is stimulated and eggs harvested by laparoscopy. Instead of allowing fertilization to occur in an incubator, prepared sperm are injected in tandem with three to four eggs a short distance into the end of the Fallopian tube, the site where fertilization occurs normally. The major determinant of pregnancy rates with IVF is the number of embryos replaced into the uterus. Anatomic derangements of the tubes and pelvis are becoming increasingly common and are among the most difficult to treat of women's fertility problems. Tubal infections are a common problem in young women and have resulted in an epidemic of tubal pregnancies and infertility.
