A third malpractice lawsuit against a closed Ames, Iowa, cosmetic ASC and its former physician has been dismissed, the Ames Tribune reported April 29.
Sandra and Gary Quade, parents of a patient who allegedly died of acute blood loss following a liposuction and abdominoplasty procedure performed by Lindsay Sturm, MD, in March 2023, dismissed their case with prejudice April 28. A former nurse for the ASC who had filed a wrongful termination lawsuit last year withdrew her complaint in August 2025.Dr. Sturm voluntarily surrendered her medical license in May 2025 under an agreement with the Iowa Board of Medicine, admitting no guilt or wrongdoing, and cannot apply for a new license for at least two years. Sturm Cosmetic Surgery closed abruptly in February 2025. A fourth lawsuit, filed in November 2025 by a patient alleging injuries from a breast augmentation procedure, remains pending with a trial scheduling conference set for May 5.
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