Physiology of Lung Collapse Under One-Lung Ventilation: Underlying Mechanisms

Lung isolation technique and one-lung ventilation (OLV) are the mainstays of thoracic anesthesia. Two principal lung isolation techniques are mainly use by clinicians, the double lumen tubes (DLT) and the bronchial blockers (BB). The physiology of lung collapse during OLV is not well described in the literature. Few publications characterized scant aspects of lung collapse, only with the use of DLT and sometime in experimental animals. Two phases of lung collapse have been described. The first phase is a quick and partial secondary to the intrinsic recoil of the lung. The second phase is the reabsorption of gas contained in the alveoli by the capillary bed. The investigators plan to describe the physiology of the second phase of lung deflation using of DLT or BB, in a human clinical context.