Objective To investigate the risk factors for insulin resistance (IR) after selective operation in the department of general surgery. Methods Two hundred and sixty-three patients including 122 males and 141 females after selective operation between March 2009 and October 2009 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University were studied. Sex, age, histories of smoking and drinking, hypertensive disease, history of operation, height, weight, waist circumference, anesthesia method, operation duration, operation method, and volumes of transfusion and liquid injection during operation were recorded. The fasting blood glucose (BG) and fasting plasma insulin (INS) were tested for selectively operative patients on day 1 before and after surgery. Insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and the index of insulin secretion (HOMA-β) were calculated with homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Logarithms of HOMA-IR (lnHOMA-IR) was taken because that HOMA-IR was not normal distribution. Results The levels of fasting BG, fasting plasma INS, and lnHOMA-IR on day 1 after operation were higher than those on day 1 before operation (Plt;0.001). IR was correlated with patients’ sex (P=0.002), the history of smoking (P=0.033), waist circumference (P=0.000), operation method (P=0.007), and the volume of liquid injection during operation (P=0.001). A significant elevation of the change of lnHOMA-IR level was found between abdominal and nonabdominal surgery (Plt;0.001). Conclusions IR occurs in selectively operative patients in the department of general surgery. It is helpful for depressing IR to control the intensity of surgery.