Previous studies have shown that formation of atelectasis during preoxygenation and induction of anesthesia can be avoided by adding a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) followed by a positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP).During emergence from anesthesia, high concentrations of oxygen predispose to atelectasis formation. Even a recruitment maneuver, followed by ventilation with 100% oxygen with a PEEP/CPAP of 10 cm H2O until extubation, failed to improve postoperative oxygenation compared with that achieved with zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP).This failure may have been caused by the presence of lung regions with high oxygen concentrations.