Day surgery has rapidly gained worldwide acceptance especially in the field of ophthalmology. In Italy, cataract surgery is the most frequently performed surgical procedure, even on account of the ageing of the population. This procedure represents a very sensitive indicator of trends in day surgery hospitalizations and of political-managerial situations in the different regional healthcare realities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diffusion of cataract day surgery in ophthalmology centres/divisions in central and southern Italy in 2003. A questionnaire was used to collect information regarding the number of surgical procedures performed, types of hospital admissions, time since the introduction of cataract day surgery, perioperative norms, and presence of other operative surgical centres in the area.