Background/aim: Colorectal adenomatous polyps are precursors of colorectal cancer (CRC), which can be prevented with surveillance colonoscopy. This study aimed to assess risk factors for the recurrence of colorectal polyps and CRC following polypectomy. Materials and methods: In this single-center trial, a total of 510 patients who applied to the endoscopy unit of Hacettepe University Hospital for various reasons and who were diagnosed with at least one colorectal adenomatous polyp between 2000 and 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with colorectal adenomatous polyps or CRC recurrences were examined in terms of clinical and histological risk factors. Results: A total of 190 (37.1%) patients had surveillance colonoscopy. Among them, 127 (66.3%) were found to have polyp recurrence. Of the parameters defined for polyp recurrence, no association was found between the number of polyps (1-2, $\ge$3) (1-3, $\ge$4) in the first colonoscopy and diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, sex, family history of colon malignancy, smoking, alcohol usage, size of polyp (25), and CRC. In the first surveillance colonoscopy, CRC was detected in 12 patients. There was a significant correlation between the development of CRC and advanced histological type, anemia with high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, polyp size (