Skip to main content
Log in

The influence of endometriosis on the success of gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT)

  • Clinical Assisted Reproduction
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose: Our purpose was to evaluate the outcomes of gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) therapy in patients with endometriosis.

Methods: One hundred eight GIFT cycles performed under the indication of endometriosis were compared to 156 GIFT cycles with indications of other disease entities. A maximum of seven oocytes was transferred into one or both fimbriate ends with prepared spermatozoa. Clinical pregnancy rates and outcomes were evaluated according to Mantel-Haenszel’s chi-square test. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors influencing the success on pregnancy in the total treatment cycles.

Results: The anthropological variables, such as age of patients, duration of infertility, and semen grading, were comparable in both groups. The responses to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) were progressively decreased while increasing the severity of endometriosis conditions such as nonendometriosis, mild-form endometriosis, and advanced-form endometriosis patients. However, there were no significant differences in the clinical pregnancy rates (40.4, 36.7, and 41.7%, respectively), multiple pregnancy rates (34.9, 27.3, and 45.0%, respectively), and early pregnancy loss rates (27.0, 18.2, and 30.0%, respectively). Multivariate statistics of pregnancy rates that adjusted the effects of patients’ age, tubal health, presence of active endometriosis and/or endometriomas, number of oocytes transferred, and quality of sperm exhibited no statistical significance between endometriosis and nonendometriosis groups.

Conclusions: Our data show that patients with records of endometriosis have both a decreased ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation and a decreased number of retrieved oocytes. Since the number of oocytes needed for the GIFT procedure is limited, pregnancy results for patients in the study group were comparable with those for patients in the control group.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Speroff L, Glass RH, Kase NG: Endometriosis.In Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, L. Speroff (ed). Baltimore, Williams and Wilkins, 1994, pp 853–871

    Google Scholar 

  2. Wessels PH, Trumpelmann MD, Cronje HS, Grobler S, Oosthuizen AP, Hamlett DK: Cost-effectiveness of gamete intrafallopian transfer in comparison with induction of ovulation with gonadotropins in the treatment of female infertility: A clinical trial. Fertil Steril 1992;57:163–167

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Mills MS, Eddowes HA, Cahill DJ, Fahy UM, Abuzeid MIM, McDermott A, Hull MGR: A prospective controlled study of in-vitro fertilization, gamete intra-fallopian transfer and intrauterine insemination combined with superovulation. Hum Reprod 1992;7:490–494

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Chillick CF, Acosta AA, Garcia JE, Perera S, Van Uem JFHM, Rosenwaks Z, Jones HW Jr: The role of in vitro fertilization in infertile patients with endometriosis. Fertil Steril 1985;44:56–61

    Google Scholar 

  5. Matson PL, Yovich JL: The treatment of infertility associated with endometriosis by in vitro fertilization. Fertil Steril 1986;46:432–434

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Simon C, Gutierrez A, Vidal A, de los Santos MJ, Tarin JJ, Remohi J, Pellicer A: Outcome of patients with endometriosis in assisted reproduction: results from in-vitro fertilization and oocyte donation. Hum Reprod 1994;9:725–729

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Geber S, Paraschos T, Atkinson G, Margara R, Winston RML: Results of IVF in patients with endometriosis: The severity of the disease does not affect outcome, or the incidence of miscarriage. Hum Reprod 1995;10:1507–1511

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Dmowski WP, Friberg J, Rana N, Papierniak C, Michalowska J, El-Roeiy A: The effect of endometriosis, its stage and activity, and of autoantibodies on in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer success rates. Fertil Steril 1995;63:555–562

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wardle PG, Mitchell JD, McLaughlin EA, Ray BD, McDermott A, Hull MGR: Endometriosis and ovulatory disorder: Reduced fertilization in vitro compared with tubal and unexplained infertility. Lancet 1985;2:236–239

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Schmidt CL: Endometriosis: A reappraisal of pathogenesis and treatment. Fertil Steril 1985;44:157–173

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Nakamura K, Oosawa M, Kondou I, Inagaki S, Shibata H, Narita O, Suganuma N, Tomoda Y: Menotropin stimulation after prolonged gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist pretreatment for in vitro fertilization in patients with endometriosis. J Assist Reprod Genet 1992;9:113–117

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Dicker D, Feldberg D, Goldman JA, Ashkenazi J, Levy T: The impact of long-term gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue treatment on preclinical abortions in patients with severe endometriosis undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer. Fertil Steril 1992;57:597–600

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Abramovici H, Dirnfeld M, Bornstein J, Lissak A, Gonen Y: Gamete intrafallopian transfer. An overview. J Reprod Med 1993;38:698–702

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Asch RH: GIFT: Indications, results, problems, and perspectives. In Capitanio GL et al, editors: GIFT: From Basics to Clinics, Serono Symposia, Vol 63, EL Capitanioet al. (ed). New York, Raven Press, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  15. Guzick DS, Stovall DW, Yao YAS, Kubik CJ, Berga SL, Zeleznik AJ, Krasnow JS: Endometriosis impairs the efficacy of gamete intrafallopian transfer: Results of a case-control study. Fertil Steril 1994;62:1186–1191

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. American Fertility Society: Revised American Fertility Society classification of endometriosis. Fertil Steril 1985;43:351–354

    Google Scholar 

  17. Veeck LL: Atlas of the Human Oocyte and Early Conceptus. Baltimore, Williams & Wilkins, 1986

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chang, MY., Chiang, CH., Hsieh, TT. et al. The influence of endometriosis on the success of gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT). J Assist Reprod Genet 14, 76–82 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02765774

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02765774

Key words

Navigation