Less-Invasive Fertility Treatment

The technique is called intraperitoneal insemination (IPI).

Treatments such as IPI cannot be used if a narrow or obstructed cervix blocks the path to the uterus. Such women are usually offered corrective surgery to remove the blockage or invasive fertility treatments like gamete or zygote intrafallopian transfer, which require the harvesting of a woman's eggs.

However, researchers suggest that women with no blockages in their fallopian tubes could receive IPI. Using this method, they were able to successfully assist a woman of 37 to become pregnant. IPI bypasses the cervix by having the sperm injected through the vagina and directly into the pelvic cavity where eggs are released. In this case study, the patient was first treated with follicle-stimulating hormone to induce ovulation before the specially prepared sperm sample was injected. Following this, progesterone was given to the patient for eight weeks. The procedure was a success and the researchers hope it will become a useful alternative to more complex fertility treatments for women with no blockages.

The study was conducted by Dr. Scott Sills, of the Atlanta Medical Center (GA, USA) and Dr. Gianpiero Palermo of the Cornell Institute for Reproductive Medicine (New York, NY, USA). Their study was reported in BioMed Central.



Related Links:
Atlanta Med. Center
Cornell Institute
BioMed Central