CHICAGO – After two people were killed and two others kidnapped on their way to get cosmetic surgery just over the border in Mexico this week, many have begun to look into why they were there.

Medical tourism is something that has become more popular in recent years as people look to other countries for care in hopes of saving money for costly procedures. American citizens will travel to neighboring countries or even overseas, which can mean a lot to those local economies where people are getting care.

While it might seem like this is a recent trend, it’s actually something that’s been going on for centuries.

David Vequist, the director of the Center for Medical Tourism Research, joined WGN Morning News on Wednesday to discuss a number of topics on medical tourism. That included its history, the reasons why people travel, potential risks that are involved, along with how other countries have responded to the growing industry.

You can watch David’s interview with Larry Potash and Robin Baumgarten on the WGN Morning News on March 8 in the video above.