10 Causes of Atelectasis
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Cause #2: Surgery
There are a number of reasons that surgery can contribute to atelectasis. In fact, research has shown that most people who undergo any form of major surgery (meaning any surgery that requires them to be put out under general anesthesia for a significant amount of time) are likely to develop at least some degree of lung collapse.
This is because going under causes your regular breathing pattern to change. The relaxation of the diaphragm that occurs while under general anesthesia affects the pressure gradients that are responsible for the lungs to inflate. This will increase the chances of a partial or complete collapsing of the lung.
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