Current therapeutic possibilities of GIFT

We have used GIFT in 74 couples affected with unexplained sterility, male hypofertility, endometriosis, phymosis of the fimbria and adhesions impeding oocyte pick-up. We systematically desensitized the pituitary using a GnRH analog from the 20th day of the cycle preceding GIFT. All the patients were hyperstimulated with purified FSH and hMG (Metrodin and Pergonal-Serono) from the 3rd day of the cycle. When several follicles were obtained woth a diameter greater than 16 mm together with serum estradiol values of 300 pg/ml per follicle, 10,000 IU hCG were administered intramuscularly in a single dose (Profasi-Serono). A maximum of 5 oocytes per patient were transferred (2-3 per tube). Our results confirm the validity of the GIFT method, with an average success rate of 19% in all pathological conditions and a far greater success rate in couples with unexplained sterility than in those with male hypofertility (31% and 10% respectively). The Authors stress that the best results of GIFT were achieved when the ratio between E2 and follicles with a diameter greater than 16 mm was in excess of 500 pg/ml.