Objectives To compare the retropubic and perineal approaches in establishing partial bladder outlet obstruction in male rats, and provide an effective and reliable method to prepare the rat model to serve researches on mechanism of bladder reconstruction.Methods Eighty healthy male Wistar rats were used in this study, and randomly divided into three groups. Group I: Twenty rats were used for sham operation with a perineal incision. Group Ⅱ: Thirty rats were chosen for midprostatic obstruction using a retropubic approach. Group Ⅲ: Thirty rats were used for bulbous urethral obstruction through a perineal incision. The groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ were further randomly divided into 2-week and 4-week subgroups. After 2 and 4 weeks, respectively, all experimental rats were anesthetized and underwent cystometric evaluation. Then the rats were sacrificed, and the organs including bladder and seminal vesicle were removed. The bladder body was weighted and recorded, and then a portion of the bladder body and the seminal vesicle were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde solution. Remaining bladder tissue was saved in the liquid nitrogen. Results The survival rate of group Ⅱ and Ⅲ was 73.3% and 80.0%, respectively (P >0.05). The operation time in the three groups was (9.75±2.29), (17.33±3.54) and (10.77±2.44)min, respectively. The operation times of groups I and Ⅲ were significantly shorter than that of the group Ⅱ (P >0.05). DLPP of the group 1-and 2-week and 4-week subgroups of Groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ were (26.31±2.32), (27.34±3.93), (24.68±2.39)mmHg and (26.42±2.41), (34.23±3.01), (32.63±3.20)mmHg, respectively, showing a significant difference between the group I and the 4-week sbugroups of Group Ⅱ and Ⅲ, and between the 2-week and 4-week subgroups of groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ (P<0.05). Conclusions Both the retropubic and perineal approaches can be used to successfully establish a partial bladder outlet obstruction in male rats. Compared with the retropubic approach, the perineal approach has advantages such as shorter operation time, a higher survival rate, better reproducibility and stability of the animal models, and that this rat model better resembles the progress of human male partial bladder outlet obstruction.