A surgical mounting device may detachably couple to a patient access device to maintain alignment between a surgical instrument and the access device as instruments are interchangeably inserted and removed from the access device. The mounting device may include arms that pivot between a closed configuration in which the arms grip the access device inserted therebetween and an open configuration in which arm are spaced further apart from each other than in the closed configuration. A drive member may transition the arms to the closed configuration when the patient access device is inserted between the arms in the open configuration and pressed against the drive member.