Recovery from abdominal surgery is usually fast and uncomplicated but postoperative hypoxemia complicates 30-50 % of cases even in uneventful procedures (1). Although oxygen administration and incentive spirometry are effective in treating the vast majority of postoperative hypoxemia cases (2), respiratory failure may occur early in the postoperative course (3) requiring endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation in 8-10 % of patients thus increasing morbidity and mortality and prolonging intensive care unit and hospital stay (1-4). Loss of functioning alveolar units has been recognized as the underlying mechanism responsible for postoperative hypoxemia (5-7); pulmonary atelectasis after abdominal surgery is, in fact, common, it may exceed 25 % of the total lung volume and is seen several days after surgery (5-7).