Egg cells are removed from a woman's ovaries, and in vitro fertilised.
First, the female must take a fertility medication clomiphene to stimulate egg production in the ovaries.
The eggs will be harvested approximately 36 hours later, usually by transvaginal ovum retrieval.
After fertilization in the laboratory, the resulting early embryos or zygotes are placed into the woman's fallopian tubes using a laparoscope.
ZIFT has been used in infertility situations where at least one of the fallopian tubes is normal and other treatments have failed; however, the need for two interventions and the fact that IVF results are equal or better (as of 2004), leaves few indications for this procedure.