A surgical access assembly comprising: a cannula ; a valve housing coupled to a proximal end of the cannula ; and a valve assembly disposed in the valve housing , the valve assembly including: a centering mechanism including a hoop having fingers extending radially outwards from an outer surface of the hoop , each finger being flexibly connected to the outer surface and biased away from the outer surface; a ring with an outer diameter and a flange disposed at one end of the ring , the other end of the ring abutting one end of the hoop ; a retainer having a first disc disposed in the ring and a second disc disposed in the hoop , the first disc attachable to the second disc irrespective of the rotational orientation of the first disc relative to the second disc ; a guard including a frame and flaps (142a-f) flexibly coupled thereto, the guard partially disposed in the first disc ; and a seal including petals (162a-f) flexibly coupled to a support , the seal partially disposed in the second disc , characterised in that one of the first or second discs includes a ridge circumscribing a central opening thereof and the other of the first or second discs includes a slot circumscribing a central opening thereof, the ridge adapted to fit within the slot thereby coupling the first and second discs . a cannula ; a valve housing coupled to a proximal end of the cannula ; and a valve assembly disposed in the valve housing , the valve assembly including: a centering mechanism including a hoop having fingers extending radially outwards from an outer surface of the hoop , each finger being flexibly connected to the outer surface and biased away from the outer surface; a ring with an outer diameter and a flange disposed at one end of the ring , the other end of the ring abutting one end of the hoop ; a retainer having a first disc disposed in the ring and a second disc disposed in the hoop , the first disc attachable to the second disc irrespective of the rotational orientation of the first disc relative to the second disc ; a guard including a frame and flaps (142a-f) flexibly coupled thereto, the guard partially disposed in the first disc ; and a seal including petals (162a-f) flexibly coupled to a support , the seal partially disposed in the second disc , characterised in that one of the first or second discs includes a ridge circumscribing a central opening thereof and the other of the first or second discs includes a slot circumscribing a central opening thereof, the ridge adapted to fit within the slot thereby coupling the first and second discs . a centering mechanism including a hoop having fingers extending radially outwards from an outer surface of the hoop , each finger being flexibly connected to the outer surface and biased away from the outer surface; a ring with an outer diameter and a flange disposed at one end of the ring , the other end of the ring abutting one end of the hoop ; a retainer having a first disc disposed in the ring and a second disc disposed in the hoop , the first disc attachable to the second disc irrespective of the rotational orientation of the first disc relative to the second disc ; a guard including a frame and flaps (142a-f) flexibly coupled thereto, the guard partially disposed in the first disc ; and a seal including petals (162a-f) flexibly coupled to a support , the seal partially disposed in the second disc , characterised in that one of the first or second discs includes a ridge circumscribing a central opening thereof and the other of the first or second discs includes a slot circumscribing a central opening thereof, the ridge adapted to fit within the slot thereby coupling the first and second discs . <EOS>