A system for delivering a prosthetic heart valve, comprising: a heart valve (20; 800) including a prosthetic valve having an expandable frame (26; 810), the frame (26; 810) having a contracted state for delivery to an implant position and an expanded state configured for outward connection to the annulus; a valve holder (22; 802) attached to the heart valve and having a bore; an elongated handle shaft attached to a proximal end of the valve holder (22; 802) and having a lumen, a proximal end of the handle shaft having a handpiece; an expansion catheter extending through the handle shaft lumen and having an expandable member on a distal end sized to pass through the bore of the valve holder (22; 802) and a proximal end projecting proximally from out of the handpiece, the expansion catheter being axially movable relative to the handle shaft between a retracted position and an advanced position in which the expandable member is located within the expandable frame (26; 810) of the heart valve, the expandable member being deployable to outwardly expand into contact with and expand the expandable frame (26; 810); and a safety guard (400; 500; 600; 650; 700) engaged between the expansion catheter and the handle shaft and including a blocking structure that prevents distal movement of the expansion catheter from its retracted position until disengagement of the blocking structure, the safety guard (400; 500; 600; 650; 700) further including a mechanism that prevents deployment of the expandable member prior to moving the expansion catheter to the advanced position, characterized in that the safety guard (400; 500; 600; 650; 700) remains attached to the expansion catheter at least until the expansion catheter has moved to the advanced position. a heart valve (20; 800) including a prosthetic valve having an expandable frame (26; 810), the frame (26; 810) having a contracted state for delivery to an implant position and an expanded state configured for outward connection to the annulus; a valve holder (22; 802) attached to the heart valve and having a bore; an elongated handle shaft attached to a proximal end of the valve holder (22; 802) and having a lumen, a proximal end of the handle shaft having a handpiece; an expansion catheter extending through the handle shaft lumen and having an expandable member on a distal end sized to pass through the bore of the valve holder (22; 802) and a proximal end projecting proximally from out of the handpiece, the expansion catheter being axially movable relative to the handle shaft between a retracted position and an advanced position in which the expandable member is located within the expandable frame (26; 810) of the heart valve, the expandable member being deployable to outwardly expand into contact with and expand the expandable frame (26; 810); and a safety guard (400; 500; 600; 650; 700) engaged between the expansion catheter and the handle shaft and including a blocking structure that prevents distal movement of the expansion catheter from its retracted position until disengagement of the blocking structure, the safety guard (400; 500; 600; 650; 700) further including a mechanism that prevents deployment of the expandable member prior to moving the expansion catheter to the advanced position, characterized in that the safety guard (400; 500; 600; 650; 700) remains attached to the expansion catheter at least until the expansion catheter has moved to the advanced position.