Surrogate human Fallopian tubes for overcoming tubal infertility

Abstract

A procedure has been devised in order to establish a pregnancy in a patient with severe, untreatable tubal infertility who had unsuccessfully undergone tubal reconstructive surgery and repeated in-vitro fertilization procedures. This technique, which involves a volunteer, fertile woman, results from the combination of two infertility treatments: namely gamete intra-Fallopian transfer and uterine flushing. The gametes of the infertile couple were introduced into the distal tube of a synchronized volunteer woman; after 5 days, the embryos, recovered by lavage of the volunteer's uterus, were transferred into the patient's uterus with a resulting pregnancy and delivery.