In the old days when shoes were made with leather, you could shape it to gain some additional space by inserting some block in the shoe and wetting it... I have this bulge on the right foot, big toe joint bulging up and a bit to the left but I am ok with shoes that are wider in the front area, right where the shoelaces typically end.
At 60+ and reading here how onerous the surgery is, I can definitely live with it, put up with some discomfort at times. It is not even something people would notice right away when walking barefoot in summer. I think I got it from the days of cross country skiing shoes when 15-30 yrs old. But why it should affect just the right foot and not the other one, probably because as a typical right handed person, I ten to put more load on my right leg more than the left one.