LV ejection fraction comes nowhere close to telling the whole story about someone's cardiac function. There are plenty of 20%ers who are compensated and just fine, and there are just as many 35%ers currently hospitalized for a decompensated exacerbation. The important questions are:
1. What is their baseline cardiac output? An LVEF of 20% is fine if the diastolic volume is huge (as tends to be the case with the eccentric hypertrophy that comes with longstanding cardiomyopathy), the heart rate is adequate, and they don't have severe regurgitant lesions.
2. How are the other organs? Red flags and signs of badness that go along with a low EF are wet lungs, chronic cardiorenal syndrome, and congestive hepatopathy.
3. What is the pt's functional status and their NYHA class? It's silly to say a low EF can't get a spinal if they have prior demonstrated cardiopulmonary reserve. Furthermore, much of the sympathectomy physiology is beneficial for HFrEF. Venodilation improves congestion while afterload reduction improves stroke volume...