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The Art of ART

All About Assisted Reproductive Technology

By Teri Brown

Dr. Miller says the advantage of GIFT is that eggs, sperm and embryos can develop in the best incubator known to science – a woman's uterus and tubes. In years past, GIFT pregnancy rates exceeded those for IVF and ICSI, making it seem to be a more attractive alternative.

"However, GIFT enjoyed a tremendous selection bias, that is, only certain people could use it, and they were generally couples with a good prognosis before treatment," Dr. Miller says. "For religious reasons, some couples still prefer to use GIFT, but at the present time, IVF and ICSI pregnancy rates are as good or better."

ZIFT and TET are simply variations on the GIFT theme. They involve combining sperm and eggs in a laboratory, assuring that fertilization has taken place, then transferring early stage embryos (zygotes) or 2- to 3-day-old embryos (TET) into the fallopian tubes via laparoscopy. As ART laboratory culture techniques have improved, these procedures have become exceedingly rare.

With any ART procedure, women can expect to take two to three weeks of injections once or twice a day up until the time of egg retrieval. The retrieval is done with sedation and enough anesthesia so that patients are either sleeping or very comfortable. Afterward, women often feel sore in their lower abdomens for a few days to follow. Most women return to work the day after egg retrieval.

According to Dr. Miller, all of these procedures involve careful monitoring during stimulation to assess for signs of a condition called ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). All women who are stimulated have some degree of abdominal bloating, ovarian soreness and fatigue, but some will experience much more pronounced symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, dehydration, blood clots and extreme weight gain due to fluid accumulation in the abdomen and chest.

Want to see more?

• The Future of IVF: What Is Minimal Stimulation?
• Clinical Trials for Conception: What You Need to Know Before You Sign Up
• Infertility Insurance Coverage: Basics Tips When You're Trying to Conceive
• Check out our Article Library.
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