Organisator / Vorsitzender: Gysbert van Setten, Stockholm, Sweden Vorsitzende/r: Berthold Seitz, Homburg/Saar

The dry eye and the ocular surfaces are becoming more and more important in the clinical everyday life of ophthalmologists. Surgically, too, colleagues and patients are increasingly aware of the importance of this former "peripheral area" of ophthalmology. Nevertheless, this awareness meets with the realization that the ocular surface and the tear film as a unit form a complicated system. Only appropriate understanding of basic mechanisms and an adequate insight into the actual circumstances can guarantee that both the clinician and the microsurgeon reach an optimal treatment result for the patient. As a rapidly developing field of ophthalmology, the field of tear film and ocular surfaces is an indispensable and important part of the future of ophthalmology. This future has already begun - but is not yet sufficiently anchored in the everyday life of every ophthalmologist. The symposium tries to improve this situation, to make tear film diagnostically and therapeutically accessible  and to give an insight into the core questions in the field of tear film and ocular surface.
This intention is surely met by the competence of the speakers, all internationally recognized experts in the field of ocular surface and tear film. The selection of topics gives the auditorium a picture of the current diagnosis of the ocular surface and at the same time illustrates important pathophysiological connections with the latest findings. Practical solutions and suggestions will make it easier for the audience to optimize and improve the  care for patients in the
future.