If you suffer from endometriosis and infertility, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) may be able to help you get pregnant when all else has failed.
Three recognized ART treatments today include in vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian tube transfer (GIFT), and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT).
Let's examine them and learn how each method can help you overcome infertility resulting from endometriosis.
IVF In vitro fertilization assists your fertility by combining your eggs and a man's sperm in a lab dish until your eggs are fertilized and become embryos.
Around 2 to 4 or embryos per attempt (cycle) are painlessly transferred back into your womb, which hopefully will lead to pregnancy.
If your endometriosis is severe, its surgical removal prior to undergoing IVF can help boost your chance of a successful outcome.
If your ovaries respond well to the stimulation drugs-even with endometriosis -your success rate with IVF may be just as good as a woman with normal ovaries.
Of course there are other fertility factors to consider; hence, the need for individualized care.
IVF Procedure IVF is conducted over a few weeks, in four separate phases: Phase I: Ovarian Stimulation Your physician prescribes medication that will stimulate your ovaries to produce many eggs.
Phase II: Egg Retrieval Some 5 to 20 eggs produced in Phase I are carefully retrieved and withdrawn from your womb using a special catheter.
An ultrasound guides your physician in retrieving your eggs.
This procedure requires anesthesia and is done in just 15 to 30 minutes.
Viable eggs retrieved are then incubated for the next phase.
Phase III: Fertilization Collected sperm are washed and combined with your eggs in a lab dish.
Multiple eggs are fertilized to ensure a higher chance of success.
The eggs-sperm union results in fertilization.
Fertilized eggs are then left to develop for a few days.
Phase IV: Embryo Transfer Around 2 to 4 developed eggs (embryos) from Phase III are returned into your womb by an ultrasound-guided catheter.
This is a painless procedure which requires no anesthesia.
After two weeks a blood test can confirm if you are pregnant.
Is IVF right for you? The UCSF Center for Reproductive Health in Greenbrae, California recommends IVF if surgery or medication has not successfully enabled you to get pregnant by treating your endometriosis.
Gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) GIFT is identical to IVF in terms of harvesting your eggs and combining them with sperm in a petri (lab) dish.
But it differs from IVF in that the embryos are transferred to the Fallopian tube and allowed to fertilize there instead of in the lab.
GIFT is also less expensive than IVF but is the least used ART method.
Is GIFT right for you? In the book How to Have a Baby: Overcoming Infertility, authors Dr.
Aniruddha Malpani, MD and Dr.
Anjali Malpani, MD say that you are a likely candidate for GIFT if you have at least one normal and healthy Fallopian tube.
The book says GIFT is also ideal for you if are afflicted with mild endometriosis.
Other experts say you cannot undergo GIFT if you have ovulation problems, anatomic problem with your uterus, severe intrauterine adhesions, or if your male partner is severely impotent.
Some people prefer GIFT over IVF for personal reasons because they would prefer that their egg and sperm be fertilized within the body, rather than in a petri dish.
Zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT) Unlike IVF wherein fertilization is allowed to occur for a few days, ZIFT fertilization is left overnight.
The next day, 2 to 4 embryos are transferred into your Fallopian tube via diagnostic laparoscopy, wherein a tiny tube is inserted through an incision just below your navel.
As with GIFT, not too many women go for ZIFT.
Health resource website Women's Health created by Danny Tucker, MD (Obstetrician and Gynaecologist) says this is because ZIFT is one of the most invasive forms of ART.
The method is so uncommon that it comprises only one percent of all fertility-assisted technologies.
Nonetheless, its increasing availability keeps it a good, albeit expensive fertility option.
Is ZIFT right for you? The Florida Institute for Reproductive Sciences and Technologies recommends ZIFT if you have minimal endometriosis.
However, if your fallopian tubes are blocked or irreparably damaged, your uterus is malformed, or you have uterine adhesions, ZIFT will not be right for you.
Because multiple eggs (embryos) are deposited into the fallopian tube, many ZIFT patients deliver triplets or more.
In addition, the risk of ectopic pregnancy increases.
Complimentary Treatments There are certain alternative and holistic treatments that when combined with IVF, GIFT or ZIFT can help you overcome endometriosis and give you a better chance at pregnancy success using ART.
For example, acupuncture is known to increase the success rate of IVF.
Additionally, help from a licensed practitioner of Chinese Medicine with herbal therapy may be able to help reduce the severity of your endometriosis before your IVF cycle begins, which will also give you better odds at a positive outcome.
Good luck!