In a retrospective single center study, the impact of radical D2-lymph adenectomy and splenectomy on operativ course, morbidity, mortality and long-term survival, in 243 patients who underwent radical surgical therapy for gastric cancer, was analyzed. D2-lymph node dissection during gastrectomy or gastric resection did not influence blood loss, artificial respiration time, ICU days or surgical morbidity, whereas splenectomy correlated with a higher hospital mortality, leakage and abscess rate. Due to routinely performed D2-lymphadenectomy long term survival rate (5 years) was 40.6% for all (in detail: 96% in stage IA; 68.5%/IB; 61.2%/II; 35.8%/IIIA; 17.3%IIIB; and 2.6% in stage IV and 58.1% for curative resected patients.