This report presents our experience with producing a stable chronic hypoxemia preparation in the dog without the disadvantages of prosthetic graft insertion or sacrifice of pulmonary tissue. In 28 adult dogs, the intrapericardial inferior vena cava and the area of junction of the right and left inferior pulmonary veins were exposed through a right thoracotomy. The cava was clamped at the diaphragm and at the right atrium, divided at the atrial clamp, and quickly anastomosed to the inferior pulmonary veins. The mean arterial O2 tension (PaO2) decreased from 83.2 +/- 1.6 mmHg preoperatively in mechanically ventilated (room air) animals to 35.3 +/- 1.5 mmHg postoperatively in awake animals spontaneously breathing room air (P less than 0.001). There was persistent depression of the PaO2 (49.1 +/- 1.8 mmHg) and elevation of the hematocrit (64.8 +/- 2.0%) in six animals tested at 18.5 mo postoperatively. Shunt patency without significant stenosis was confirmed in each animal at autopsy. This method attains predictable and persistent hypoxemia and polycythemia and is simple to perform. It may be useful in studying various aspects of ventricular function and ventricular histological and biochemical changes with chronic cyanosis.