Inclusion Criteria:

- Consecutive patients (aged between 18 and 80) with mid/low rectal cancer undergoing
laparoscopic TME or APR without the need of conversion

- Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists grading I-III

- Informed consent available

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients undergoing simultaneous laparoscopic resection of rectal cancer and other
coexisting intraabdominal diseases

- Patients undergoing laparoscopic resection of rectal cancer with en-bloc resection of
surrounding organs

- Patients who developed intraoperative problems or complications (e.g. bleeding, tumor
perforation) that required conversion

- Patients with intestinal obstruction

- Patients with previous history of abdominal surgery

- Patients with evidence of peritoneal carcinomatosis

- Patients who are expected to receive epidural anesthesia or analgesia

- Patients with cardiac pacemaker

- Patients who are pregnant

- Patients who are allergic to acupuncture needles