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Published on: August 5, 2011
Pregnancy rates after peritoneal ovum-sperm transfer.
C B Coulam1, A J Peters, M Gentry
1Center for Reproduction and Transplantation Immunology, Methodist Hospital of Indiana, Inc., Indianapolis.
American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
|June 1, 1991
Summary
Peritoneal ovum-sperm transfer offers a successful treatment for unexplained infertility. This office procedure resulted in a 26% pregnancy rate per cycle, comparable to other assisted reproductive technologies.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Infertility Treatment
Background:
- Unexplained infertility affects couples seeking conception.
- Established assisted reproductive technologies (ART) include in vitro fertilization (IVF) and gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of peritoneal ovum-sperm transfer (POST) as a treatment for unexplained infertility.
- To compare the pregnancy rates of POST with those of IVF and GIFT.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 12 women with unexplained infertility undergoing 23 cycles of POST.
- Ovulation was stimulated using human menopausal gonadotropin.
- Transvaginal oocyte recovery followed by transfer of oocytes and motile spermatozoa into the pouch of Douglas under local anesthesia.
Main Results:
- Six clinical pregnancies were achieved in 23 stimulated cycles, yielding a pregnancy rate of 26% per cycle.
- This pregnancy rate is comparable to reported rates for IVF (16%) and GIFT (27%).
Conclusions:
- Peritoneal ovum-sperm transfer demonstrates comparable success rates to IVF and GIFT for unexplained infertility.
- POST offers advantages including being a non-surgical office procedure, avoiding general anesthesia, and reduced cost, making it a viable first-line treatment option.
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