The mechanisms involved in the development of hepatic encephalopathy still remain uncertain. The rodent portacaval shunt is a model that reproduces many of the pathological features observed in humans (1), but is a technically demanding exercise. While the traditional technique involves complete occlusion of the IVC, a c-clamp was fashioned to partially clamp the IVC thereby sustaining venous return and cardiac output. The aim of this study is to determine if the c-clamp technique provides greater hemodynamic stability and enhances the success rate of the portacaval shunt procedure. To answer this question, two experimental groups, c-clamp (N = 7) and cross-clamp (N = 7), and a sham group (N = 3) were included. Intraoperative hemodynamic parameters were recorded at specific times during the procedure. The c-clamp group showed greater hemodynamic stability when compared to the cross-clamp group. It was manifested by 1) significantly higher mean arterial blood pressure [63 (range, 8) vs 47 (range, 10) mmHg, p < 0.05], 2) faster capillary refill [4 (range, 2) vs 6 (range, 2) seconds, p < 0.05], 3) higher urinary output [0.18 (range, 0.02) vs 0.14 (range, 0.02) ml, p < 0.05], and 4) lower bowel wet-to-dry ratio [4.168 (range, 0.258) vs 4.731 (range, 0.271), p<0.05]. We conclude partial IVC clamping improves hemodynamic stability during the construction of the rat portacaval shunt model