To improve quality of life in patients who had an aggressive lymph nodes dissection (D2) for early gastric carcinoma, we developed a novel procedure, nerve-saving D2 (VS-D2), in 1991. This procedure constitutes D2 and saving of hepatic and celiac branches of the vagus nerve, whereas conventional D2 consists of D2 and preserving hepatic branches alone of the vagus nerve. Thirty-nine patients between 1991 and 1994 who received VS-D2 and included 3 cases with nodal involvement had no operative death and no recurrence. The occurrence rate of postoperative diarrhea in patients with VS-D2 significantly lower than that in patients with conventional D2 (3% versus 28%, p < 0.01). Postoperative incomplete weight regain (less than 95% of preoperative weight) was also relatively lesser in patients with VS-D2 than those with conventional D2 (64% versus 84%, p = 0.08). The incidence of formation of gallstone also was relatively low in patients with VS-D2 compared that in those with conventional D2 (3% versus 13%) though the difference was not statistically significant. These results suggest that VS-D2 keeps curability of conventional D2 and improves quality of life in patients following surgery for early gastric carcinoma.