Popular Gospel Singer Now Free from Pain after Hip Replacement Surgery

Darwin Hobbs Credits His Rapid Recovery to Surgery by Dr. Mark W. Hanna of Resurgens Orthopaedics

Pain was a way of life for popular gospel singer Darwin Hobbs before hip replacement surgery this spring at Resurgens Orthopaedics — Georgia’s largest orthopaedics practice. 

At 42, Hobbs, director of music, worship, and creative arts at the 16,000-member Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Norcross, has lived with pain since he had surgery at the age of 14 to correct a slipped growth plate in his hip. 

While he had been told for years he needed a hip replacement, only when he met with Dr. Mark Hanna at Resurgens did Hobbs decide to have surgery. 

“The first time I ever felt comfortable was when I went to Dr. Hanna," Hobbs said. "He educated me about my joint and my body and gave me valuable education about my hip. He basically dispelled all fear for me," 

Before meeting Dr. Hanna, Hobbs said he was afraid of the idea of having a hip replacement. 

Now, he says, “My whole life has changed since this procedure. Because of Dr. Hanna’s commitment to excellence and his willingness to share his education with me, it empowered me to make my decision. Four weeks after surgery, I’m walking without assistance of a cane. I have my life back.” 

"Because of Dr. Hanna’s commitment to excellence and his willingness to share his education with me, it empowered me to make my decision"

Hobbs is also looking forward to a healthy future. 

“I’m an obese person, and now I can lose the weight with diet and exercise that I couldn’t before because of the pain,” he said. “With Dr. Hanna, I learned that the surgery isn’t the end of your life: It’s the beginning,” he said. 

Now, Hobbs would like others, especially those in the African-American community, to know that joint replacement is nothing to fear. 

“I know so many people in my community who need a total hip replacement or a knee replacement, but don’t have a point of reference and are afraid,” he said. 

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Hobbs began his music career in Nashville in the 1990s, releasing his first gospel album, Mercy, in 1999. He followed that with the 100,000-plus-selling Vertical in 2000, and Broken in 2003. His most recent album, Champion, was released in 2010. He and his wife Traci currently live in Grayson. In addition to his work at Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, he does concert tours throughout the U.S. 

Dr. Hanna practices at the Resurgens St. Joseph office. His areas of expertise are hip and knee replacement and sports medicine. He completed his medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York and his residency at Emory University in Atlanta. He completed a fellowship in Total Joint Replacement and Biologic Reconstruction at Harvard University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Hanna is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.