In Japan, the preservation of hepatic and celiac branch of vagal nerve (DGpv), and also pylorus (PPGpv) are often performed with distal gastrectomy (DG) for early gastric cancer located in the mid-to-lower stomach, and these function-preserving gastrectomy procedures is thought to attenuate postgastrectomy syndrome. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of function-preserving gastrectomy procedures on long-term quality of life (QOL) in gastrectomized patients. METHODS: The questionnaire was sent to 129 gastrectomized patients for early gastric cancer in our institute at least more than two years after the operation. They consisted of 86 patients with DG, 22 patients with DGpv and 21 patients with PPGpv. The degree of weight loss and the incidence of diarrhea as well as dumping symptoms were compared among the groups. RESULTS: In DG, DGpv and PPGpv patients, mean weight loss was 12.5:9.3*:7.2* %. The incidence of weight loss more than 20% was 17:14:0* %. The incidence of diarrhea was 60:19*:16* %. The incidence of dumping symptoms (systemic) was 36:27:19 %. (* p<0.05 vs. DG patients) CONCLUSIONS: Both function-preserving gastrectomy procedures for early gastric cancer was associated with improved long-term QOL in terms of body weight, diarrhea and dumping symptoms, which therefore could confer clinical benefit.