[Correction of arterial hypoxemia during early postoperative period].

The article is dedicated to investigating the reasons of development of hypoxemia during the early postoperative period when the patient is switched to an unassisted air breathing. It was established that hypoxemia develops, after abdominal operations with a multi-component total anesthesia, in 68% of patients, although there is a recovery of adequate ventilation of the lungs, and it is related with an insufficient anesthesia, which results in an increased volume of expiratory closure. Epidural anesthesia prevents an increase in the closure volume and development of hypoxemia.