Objective To explore the operative safety of HIV-infected patients with colorectal cancer in different degrees of immunodeficiency. Methods A total of 56 patients, including 26 cases of HIV positive (HIV-positive group) and 28 cases of HIV negative (HIV-negative group), who underwent radical operation for colorectal cancer between January 2012 and December 2015, were enrolled in our study. We divided HIV-positive patients into three groups according to CD4+ T cells count in peripheral venous blood before 1 day (D0) of the surgery (HIV-positive Ⅰgroup with CD4+ T cells count >500/μL, HIV-positive Ⅱgroup with CD 4+ T cells count among 200–500/μL, and HIV-positive Ⅲ group with CD4+ T cells count <200/μL). Non-infective patients were enrolled in HIV-negative group. Leukocyte count, neutrophil percentage, lymphocyte percentage, CD 4+ T cells subsets count, and CD8+ T cells subsets count of the 4 groups in different time points were tested. In addition, we compared postoperative complications, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and postoperative survival rate between the HIV-positive group and the HIV-negative group. Results In 56 cases, there were 26 cases of HIV-positive patients (including 10 cases of HIV-positive Ⅰ group, 8 cases of HIV-positive Ⅱ group and 10 cases of HIV-positive Ⅲ group). Variance results about repeated measurement data showed that, variation of leukocyte count, neutrophil percentage, lymphocyte percentage, and CD8+ T cells count among 4 groups after surgery had no statistical significance (P>0.05), in addition there was no significant on time effect and interactive effect of time and group (P>0.05). CD4+ T cells count in the 4 groups showed a trend from decline to rising with time going, and the time effect had statistical significance (P<0.05). The speed and amplitude of decline and recovery of CD4+ T cells count were different among groups, and the group effect had statistical significance (P<0.05). CEA showed a trend of decline after surgery in both HIV-positive group and HIV-negative group, and the time effect had statistical significance (P<0.05), but the group effect and interactive effect of time and group had no statistical significance (P>0.05). No statistically significant differences in amount of blood loss, duration of surgery, postoperative stay, nor complication rate (including incision infection, pulmonary infection, and opportunistic infections after surgery) were found between the HIV-positive group and the HIV-negative group (P>0.05). The overall survival situation of the HIV-positive group and the HIV-negative group had no statistical significance (P>0.05). Conclusions Radical operation for HIV-infected patients with colorectal cancer has an impact of " first inhibition and recovery” on cellular immunity over a period of time. Incidence of postoperative complications and survival rates are similar in HIV-positive patients and HIV-negative patients. In a word, it’s safe to have radical operation for colorectal cancer in HIV-positive patients under the proper perioperative treatment.