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Background: Pancreatectomy is a standard operation for many benign and malignant diseases. Although pancreatectomy is a high-risk surgical procedure for short-term complications, it may also have long reaching effects in gastrointestinal-related symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the gastrointestinal quality of life of patients who have undergone pancreatectomy.Methods: Patients who have undergone pancreatectomy were contacted by telephone and asked a series of qualitative open-ended questions about their preoperative symptoms, change in preoperative symptoms, and new postoperative symptoms. In addition, they completed the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), which assess 5 domains: Reflux Syndrome (RS), Acute Pain Syndrome (APS), Indigestion Syndrome (IS), Diarrhea Syndrome (DS), and Constipation Syndrome (CS). Higher scores indicated more severe symptoms. In addition, age, gender, pancreatic disease, type of pancreatectomy, and date of pancreatectomy were recorded.Results: 52 patients were both able and agreeable to participate in the study. 26 had periampullary malignancy, 17 cystic lesions, 5 neuroendocrine tumors, and 4 benign pathology. 30 patients had Whipple pancreatectomy, 16 distal pancreatectomy, 3 central pancreatectomy, 2 enucleation, and 1 a total pancreatectomy. Follow-up from time of operation was from 1 to 13 years. 69% reported change from preoperative symptoms, of these 69% reporting symptomatic improvement, 31% no change, and 0% worse. 50% of patients did experience new, different symptoms compared to their preoperative state. The median GSRS scores (with interquartile ranges) were RS 0 (0-1), APS 0 (0-1), IS 2 (1-4), DS 2 (0.5-4.5), and CS 0 (0-1). Patients with Whipple operation tended toward worse scores compared to other types of pancreatectomy in the RS domain (0.5 vs. 0, p=0.08) and IS domain (3.5 vs. 1.5, p=0.06). 68% of patients with Whipple operation had new symptoms compared to 32% of patients with another type of pancreatectomy (p=0.002). However, patients <2yrs from the operation had no different scores than those >2yrs from the operation.Conclusions: Patients undergoing pancreatectomy have frequently had their preoperative symptoms improved, but also have new postoperative symptoms. This is more common with Whipple operations. However, the severity of these symptoms are relatively mild, as measured by the GSRS, except in the IS and DS domains. These mild symptoms seem to persist over time. This information will help with patient counseling.