Step 1: Recall the four-type scheme of respiratory failure. Type 1 = oxygenation failure, Type 2 = ventilation/pump failure, Type 3 = perioperative, Type 4 = circulatory shock related.
Step 2: Zoom in on Type 3. It is essentially Type 1 occurring around surgery, driven by collapse of dependent alveoli when functional residual capacity falls and the diaphragm and abdominal wall behave abnormally under anaesthesia.
Step 3: Match the trigger. Post-operative atelectasis is the textbook cause of this perioperative collapse, so it is the Type 3 answer.
Step 4: Rule out the rest - chest wall problems like kyphoscoliosis and flail chest impair the pump and give Type 2, while parenchymal disease such as pulmonary fibrosis impairs gas exchange and gives Type 1.
\[\boxed{\text{Post-operative atelectasis (Type 3 / perioperative failure)}}\]