BackgroundIn an effort to decrease the postoperative complications after pelvic exenteration, dura mater allograft was used to cover the denuded pelvic floor.Materials and MethodsBetween 1981 and 1992, dura mater allograft was used to cover the pelvic floor after pelvic exenteration in 24 patients at the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami Medical Center.Results:The incidence of bowel prolapse and pelvic abscess below the graft was zero. A urinary fistula from an infected urinoma developed in one patient. The incidence of enteroperineal fistulae was reduced from 33.3% to 11.1%, when dura mater was covered with a serosal surface, such as omentum or peritoneum.Conclusions:The use of dura mater reduced the incidence of serious complications after pelvic exenteration, such as bowel prolapse and pelvic abscess. The combination of dura mater with a serosal surface, to cover the pelvic floor, reduced the incidence of enteroperineal fistulae.