80% of people, most unknowingly, have some sort of misalignment to their nasal septum. Only the more severe imbalances cause significant breathing problems and require treatment. Treatment Surgery treatment through septoplasty Surgery to repair a deviated septum is usually performed in an outpatient setting under local or general anesthesia and takes about one to one and a half hours, depending on the amount of work being done. You should be able to go home three to four hours after surgery. Internal splints or soft packing material may be put in the nose to stabilize the septum as it heals. If a septoplasty is the only procedure performed, there should be little to no swelling or bruising after surgery. However, if a septorhinoplasty is performed, a week or two of swelling and bruising is normal following the procedure. If possible, it is best to wait until after the nose has stopped growing, around age 15, to have surgery. Newer procedures are becoming available that use balloon septoplasty techniques that avoid actual surgery and are done in the office setting. These are being done for milder cases. Surgery risks No surgery is completely risk-free, and the benefits of undergoing surgery -- in this case, being able to breathe better -- must outweigh the risks. Septoplasty and septorhinoplasty are common and safe procedures; side effects are rare. Still, talk with your doctor about the possible risks of surgery before you make a treatment decision. Although rare, risks of septoplasty and/or rhinoplasty may include: Infection Bleeding Hole (perforation) of the septum Loss of the ability to smell.