SAN DIEGO – Medical tourism to Mexico is on the rise, but it also comes with risks. That may be why a new kind of business may also be on the rise: companies like TreVita that help facilitate those trips.

“People that are thinking about going to Mexico. It is very important that they work with a professional company that knows the ins and outs,” said Dan Koetting, CEO at TreVita.

TreVita is based in downtown San Diego, but works with prospective patients from all over the country. They currently focus on various weight loss procedures.

“Safety is our number one concern. We look for American certified doctors, do our vetting to make sure that there is no red flags. We want to make sure that they are a great quality doctor and also the facilities that we working in have to be top notch,” Koetting said.

FOX 5 medical contributor Dr. Richard Chaffoo mirrored similar advice when sharing the questions people should ask if they find themselves considering international medical care.

“Whether the doctors you’re seeing are qualified, is the facility licensed or certified, and what does that mean within that specific country? If something does go wrong, what are the facilities like that will care for you,” Chaffoo said.

Koetting says he was inspired to start the company after friends and family talked about the rising costs of elective surgeries in the U.S., making them less accessible to the average person.

“Just opened my eyes to the possibilities just right across the border. A lot of these doctors live right over in Coronado and they do all the the surgeries that U.S. surgeons do, but it’s about a third of the cost,” Koetting said.