An apparatus for assisting in a vascular procedure includes an obturator that interfaces with a surface of tissue, the obturator including a shaft and a groove that can guide one or more tips of a medical device into a targeted region. In more specific embodiments, the targeted region is an aortic hole. The obturator can include a knob that stabilizes the medical device laterally on a surface of the targeted region. The obturator can also include a flange element that extends beyond the knob onto an outside surface of the targeted region. The knob can include a chamfer feature that can provide room for the tips of the medical device to enter the targeted region at an angle without bumping into the knob. In still other embodiments, the tips are sharp needle tips of the medical device and the groove is a V-shaped groove.
