Comparison of fallopian tube sperm perfusion with intrauterine insemination in the treatment of infertility

Objective: To compare the efficacy of fallopian tube sperm perfusion utilizing a Foley catheter technique with standard IUI. Design: Randomized controlled study. Setting: The infertility units of the University Central Hospital and the Family Federation of Finland, Oulu, Finland. Patient(s): One hundred infertile women with unexplained factor, minimal to mild endometriosis, mild male factor, or ovarian dysfunction, undergoing 50 IUI and 50 fallopian tube sperm perfusion cycles stimulated by clomiphene citrate and hMG. Intervention(s): Thirty-six hours after hCG administration, patients were randomized to either the IUI group (group 1, 50 patients and cycles) or the fallopian tube sperm perfusion group (group 2, 50 patients and cycles). Intrauterine insemination was performed using a standard method and fallopian tube sperm perfusion with a pediatric Foley catheter, which prevents the reflux of sperm suspension. Main Outcome Measure(s): Number of clinical pregnancies. Result(s): The fallopian tube sperm perfusion method using a Foley catheter technique was easy to perform and convenient for the patients. The overall pregnancy rate per cycle was 8% for fallopian tube sperm perfusion and 20% for IUI, a difference that was not significant. Conclusion(s): The fallopian tube sperm perfusion method using a Foley catheter offers no advantage in comparison with the conventional IUI technique.