A third malpractice lawsuit against the now-closed Sturm Cosmetic Surgery Center and its head surgeon has been dismissed.
Sandra and Gary Quade, parents of a former patient, filed a lawsuit against Lindsay Sturm and her business on May 20, 2024. They claimed that the injuries the physician allegedly caused during surgery and the ensuing alleged “negligent” post-op care led to death.
A jury trial was originally scheduled to start on Feb. 10.
On April 28, the plaintiffs dismissed their case with prejudice, shelving it permanently.
The Quades were one of three parties to bring a lawsuit against the surgery center since late 2023. All three suits have been dismissed.
Ames cosmetic surgery center closed abruptly
Sturm Cosmetic Surgery abruptly closed in February 2025.
Dr. Lindsay Sturm was a licensed physician specializing in full-body cosmetic surgery, facial cosmetic surgery, otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery.
An agreement Lindsay Sturm reached in May with the Iowa Board of Medicine called for her to voluntarily surrender the medical license she’d maintained since 2018 while admitting no guilt or wrongdoing.
The agreement also said she could not apply for a new license for at least two years.
Patient allegedly died of blood loss after surgery
Sturm performed core liposuction and an abdominoplasty, or a tummy tuck, on Angela Kettwig, 50, of Colo, the daughter of Sandra and Gary Quade in March 2023, according to court documents. The operation was performed without complication, according to the medical records, and Kettwig was discharged later that day.
Around 2 a.m. the following morning, Kettwig’s daughter allegedly called Strum to note that her mother was lightheaded and “did not feel good.” Sturm allegedly said the reaction was “normal” and recommended that she eat or drink to help with her blood sugar.
Kettwig suffered a cardiac arrest a few hours later and subsequently died of acute blood loss at a local hospital.
Medical school doctor believes death was preventable
Dr. Nelson Goldberg, professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Maryland Medical School, reviewed Kettwig’s medical records, according to court documents, and noted that Kettwig’s signs and symptoms indicated hypotension and serious bleeding. He said it was a “preventable death” and “would have been prevented if Dr. Sturm had reasonably acted upon the first report of blood loss and dizziness.”
Who else filed a lawsuit against Lindsay Sturm?
The first lawsuit was filed by Joseph Kaissi, a United Arab Emirates resident who traveled to Ames for surgery. He filed a lawsuit in 2023 for “serious and permanent” injuries because of Sturm’s and Sturm Cosmetic Surgery’s “negligent” care. It was dismissed with prejudice in September 2025.
A former Sturm Cosmetic Surgery employee filed a suit claiming she was wrongfully fired in retaliation for sounding the alarm about “illegal” and “unethical” practices and a “toxic work environment.” She dismissed her lawsuit in August 2025.
New malpractice lawsuit filed against Sturm
Felecia Hildreth of Marshalltown filed a lawsuit on Nov. 5, 2025, against Sturm and Sturm Cosmetic Surgery, claiming a “negligently and improperly executed surgery resulted in severe and permanent injuries.”
According to the lawsuit, Sturm performed a surgical procedure to increase breast size on Nov. 28, 2023. Complications, including infection, scarring, and pain, allegedly followed the surgery.
Sturm “acknowledged the poor outcome of the initial procedure and agreed to perform a scar revision surgery at no cost,” court documents said, but the procedure “failed to remedy the harm caused and further exacerbated (the) injuries.”
A trial scheduling conference has been set for May 5.
Sturm and husband file for bankruptcy
Lindsay Sturm and her husband, Sean Sturm, filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in June 2025, according to a court filing. Sean Sturm is an anesthesiologist at McFarland Clinic.
The bankruptcy filing listed $5.99 million in assets, including a $1.5 million home and other property, and $5.34 million in liabilities, including a $2 million business loan, $12,000 owed to the Internal Revenue Service, $315,000 in student loans, and other debts tied to lawsuits.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Former Ames cosmetic surgeon’s 3rd malpractice lawsuit dismissed
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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