I had open heart surgery to repair a leaky mitral valve with severe regurgitation in 2019. I was in the hospital for two weeks following surgery. It was challenging, but not as bad or nearly as painful as knee surgery I had when I was much younger.
I have read that because of the positioning of the mitral valve, the open heart technique is better/preferable.
I didn't have any help at home. Friends took me grocery shopping or picked up stuff and I was still caregiver to my husband with Alzheimer's Disease while I recovered.
I'm glad I had the surgery before I went into Congestive Heart Failure as my mom died from that. She had mitral valve stenois, but it was inoperable.