Atelectasis is a condition in which one or more areas of your lungs collapse or don’t inflate properly. Lung atelectasis can be a complete or partial collapse of a lung or lobe of a lung. If only a small area or a few small areas of the lungs are affected, you may have no signs or symptoms. If a large area or several large areas of the lungs are affected, they may not be able to deliver enough oxygen to your blood. This can cause symptoms and complications.
Cause:
Lung atelectasis develops when the tiny air sacs (alveoli) within the lung become deflated. Atelectasis can be a breathing (respiratory) complication after surgery. Almost everyone who has surgery has some atelectasis from anesthesia. Anesthesia changes your regular pattern of breathing and the absorption of gases and pressures, which may combine to cause some degree of collapse of the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs. Atelectasis is particularly prominent after heart bypass surgery.
