History (Perone, 1991)

1979 Shettles reported a successful pregnancy following placement of eggs in the fallopian tube at the time of sterilization reversal, artificial insemination preceding the surgical procedure.

1980 Kreitman and Hadjec showed that low oocyte transfer and mating resulted in 5 of 31 monkeys becoming pregnant. The transfer was proximal to the site of tubal ligation.

1983 Abate reported the first pregnancy in a patient following laparoscopic sperm and oocyte transfer to the fallopian tube. The Lancet refused publication of the letter.

1983 Tesarik obtained one birth following oocyte and sperm transfer to the tube after tubal repair in nine patients.

1984 Asch reported several pregnancies from laparoscopic gamete transfer; egg retrieval was by laparoscopy.

1986 Dewraz and Blacklege transferred fertilized oocytes to the tube after in-vitro fertilization.

1988 Jansen showed that pregnancy could be obtained by vaginal insemination of gametes into the fallopian tube.

Physiological basis

The understanding of ovulation, fertilization, embryo cleavage and corpus luteum function is significant in terms of understanding conception. The mechanisms of sperm transport through the female genitalia towards the site of fertilization in the tubes and of fimbriae oocyte pick-up are still obscure. It is possible that these mechanisms, which cannot be evaluated by means of clinical or laboratory tests at present, are impaired in some of the unexplained cases of infertility.

Idiopathic infertility and mild or moderate endometriosis, which anatomically do not affect the tubes and/or ovaries, are common diagnostic groups in infertility.