Medical tourism

Experts are warning consumers who are considering traveling abroad for surgery to exercise caution because of the rising number of medical disputes that have arisen with travel agencies and medical institutions abroad, the Beijing Daily reported.

Although China is a destination for some travelers seeking medical procedures, more than 90 percent of the medical tourism associated with China is outbound. The most popular medical procedures include plastic surgery in South Korea and anti-aging treatments in Switzerland and Germany.

The number of people worldwide who travel abroad for medical reasons has doubled from 20 million to 40 million between 2006 and 2012.