I’ve had two herniated discs and three back operations. The last X-ray showed the next disc has dried up and gone hard. I figured I was safe from any more herniations. But guess what? I was wrong. Is this a common problem or am I just the lucky one in the bunch?

Studies show that anyone who has lumbar surgery for any reason is already at risk for reoperation. And it doesn’t seem to matter who you are — age, gender, and type of problem don’t seem to make any difference.

Rates of reoperation for lumbar discectomy are around 12 per cent. Most of these are Type 2 disc herniations according to the Carragee classification system. Type 2 means there is an opening or defect in the outer covering of the disc and a fragment of disc separated from the main disc.

But in a smaller number of patients, disc reherniation can occur with calcified or hard discs. This is a fairly new finding reported in the medical literature. Researchers are taking a closer look to see who might be at risk for this type of presentation.