With a deviated septum, the useful preparation is what you write down about your symptoms and what you ask about repair.
Symptoms to write down
Keep a short log for a week before the consultation. Note which side of the nose feels blocked, when it is worse, and what you were doing. Bring the log instead of a general description such as a stuffy nose.
Questions the log answers
It also shows how often the blockage happens and whether sleep or exercise changes it.
Who treats it
Ask who would perform the surgery and where they trained. One university department publishes a page on its otolaryngology fellowship programs, which shows how that field organizes advanced training. Then ask your surgeon how often they do airway surgery.
How repair is described
Ask the surgeon to describe the repair in plain words: what the operation changes inside the nose, how it is done, and whether any part of the plan changes the outside shape of the nose. If the plan includes both, ask for each part to be explained separately.
Surgery or other treatment
A systematic review of septoplasty versus non-surgical treatment for a deviated septum is useful background before you ask about your own plan.
The first week after septum repair
Ask what a normal first week looks like and which signs mean you should call the office. A paper with a quality of life assessment after septoplasty in patients with nasal obstruction can help you frame your own questions.
Men and the nose
Ask the surgeon whether anything in your anatomy or your goals changes the plan.
Log in hand, plan in plain steps
Bring your log, ask for the plan in plain steps, and ask about recovery before you agree. For more reading on the condition, there is a comprehensive narrative review of nasal septal deviation.