Ideally, you should stop smoking six months before the operation. If you do quit, you may notice that you have a cough and are bringing up some phlegm. This is usually a sign that your lungs are starting to recover from the effects of the nicotine and the smoke. However, you may not have that much time to quit before the operation, or you may be unable to quit entirely. In either case, decreasing the number of cigarettes and the amount smoked of each cigarette will help. Using nicotine gum or a nicotine patch may make it easier, although neither should be used on the day you have your anaesthetic.