SUMMARY Unplanned 30-day readmission rates following surgery for colorectal cancer range from 8.4 to 17.1% and have an obvious impact on patient outcomes and the overall cost of treating this population. Bowel obstruction, ileus, surgical infections, operative complications and dehydration are consistently the primary causes for readmission following colorectal surgery; however, finding a reliable set of predictors among many risk factors for readmissions has proven elusive. With a recent shift in focus towards reducing hospital readmissions, interventions to reduce them must be developed. These should be based on a nuanced understanding of the patient, operative and systematic factors driving readmissions and aim to decrease the patient’s unmet needs and challenges following discharge after surgery for colorectal cancer.